New Fluminense elimination generates financial bankruptcy, reality clash and pressure on Odair | fluminense

The 3-1 defeat at the Goiânia Olympic Stadium (see offers in the video above), last Thursday, shook the structures of a club that was trying to rebuild itself. The golden era of the Unimed era, which yielded the last great tricolor titles, ended at the beginning of the last decade. And the current reality, much more humble, suffers much more the impacts of stumbling out of the curve.

The first symptoms of the recent elimination are economic and cause a budgetary collapse. In the calculations provided by the board in 2020, already made after the fall in the South American, a prize of R $ 11.8 million was budgeted in the Copa do Brasil. To reach this value, the club would have to reach the quarterfinals of the competition, but ended up falling even before the eighth. The profit obtained up to the fourth phase of the tournament was R $ 5.9 million, practically half of the estimate.

The 2020 budget estimated a surplus for the year of R $ 9 million. With R $ 6 million less than expected in the Copa do Brasil, this estimate has already dropped to R $ 3 million, which would still close the year in blue. But for that, the club will need to reach other revenue targets, such as the sale of players, estimated at R $ 70 million. So far, the board has achieved slightly less than half with the departures of Evanilson (Porto-POR), Gilberto (Benfica-POR), Pitaluga (Liverpool-ING), Orejuela (Querétaro-MEX) and the transfer of Marlon (Trabzonspor -TUR): around R $ 33 million.

The situation is even worse with back wages. Players and employees received only 50% of July, with the remaining half of the month and 100% of August remaining; September compensation will expire soon, on the fifth business day in October. In addition, athletes who have received image rights have been without payment since June. The board of directors had an award of R $ 2.6 million for the classification to the eighth to begin to resolve the pending issues.

On the field, the team underwent a reality shift. A slow, spaced, and uncreative team is not new. It had already been like that in the defeats of Sport in the Ilha do Retiro and of São Paulo in Morumbi; and in the victories suffered against Atlético-GO and Corinthians in Maracanã. With this bureaucratic football, the objective of seeking a qualification for the Libertadores through the Brazilian Championship sounds like utopia.

As Fluminense will only play the Brazil Cup again in 2021, it will be six years without eliminating a Serie A team in the knockout tournament.

From the hand of Odair, this team managed to fit in during some rounds of the Brazilian, just after the victory over Inter. But the team has never been the same since Evanilson left and it needs to reinvent itself. But does a single player make that much difference? For the current scheme, yes. Fluminense has no other player who fulfills the functions of a fast forward and needs to sign. As long as no one shows up, it’s time to re-evaluate tactical systems and even parts of it.

Muriel failed again. Egídio does not convey confidence on the left. Calegari even came from the right, but it is still an improvisation. Hudson has not provided the necessary protection against the area. Dodi and Michel Araújo fell too much in income. Wellington Silva is in debt today. Luiz Henrique, no matter how promising, does not have the “forward” as a center forward … Perhaps the only one with the undisputed title is still Luccas Claro.

Odair Hellmann was hired based on his work to rebuild Inter, when he removed the club from Serie B and brought it to Libertadores. The coach has the confidence of President Mário Bittencourt and Executive Director Paulo Angioni, who were even in Goiânia with the tricolor delegation. But the focus of dissatisfaction increases internally on other fronts of the club.

In the corridors of Laranjeiras, there are already many criticisms of the technician’s work, even more so with options available in the market, such as Tiago Nunes and Roger Machado. For now, Odair continues and has even signaled reinforcements for Fluminense, like Danilo Barcelos, who has already arrived, and Lucca, who has advanced in negotiations with the club.

External pressure also increases. Two weeks ago, a group of tricolor protesters with banners and “war cries” against the leadership and Odair at the door of Laranjeiras.. And at dawn this Friday, about 100 fans ignored the pandemic and went to the Galeão airport to make another protest at the arrival of the team, which returned on a chartered flight to Rio de Janeiro around two in the morning. It is possible that other mobilizations will take place in the coming days.

Odair tries to absorb criticism, avoids blaming the players for individual mistakes, and takes responsibility on camera. At the post-removal press conference, he said:

– I don’t blame the player or the group. The responsibility is mine for the decisions. Soccer is a sport of mistakes and I am aware of all situations. I try to give the players confidence.

As much as he has the confidence of the management, Odair knows that football is the result. And a new setback against Coritiba next Monday, at 8:00 p.m. (Brasilia time), at Estádio Nilton Santos, for the 12th day of the Brazilian Championship, could increase the pressure on you even more.

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