Recently, Jorge Jesus made a controversial statement:
"In Portugal, for sure (they would be protagonists). They would compete for the title with ease, way ahead of everyone. In other countries, like England, it wouldn't be the same. But they would compete for the top six places. With the eleven Flamengo play, they are very strong."
Parte da sua afirmação, relativamente ao Flamengo in the Premier League had already been tested in FM2019, and it could not have gone worse; see it HERE.
Agora, no recém saído FM2020, we went to test Flamengo in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
Details changed in the simulation:
- They were relocated to Leiria, and their "nest" became the Municipal de Leiria.
- Gil Vicente was the team removed from the competition to make room for them in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
- Under-23s competing in the Liga Revelação, in place of Feirense.
- Under-19s replacing Gil Vicente again in the top junior division, northern zone.
- Transfer window closed in the summer, to use the current squads until January.
- Everything else stayed the same.
Transfers and league
Transfers:
Nothing to report: Jorge Jesus didn't go to the market in January, and there were no major departures. Only a few youngsters left to gain experience at smaller teams.
Primeira Liga Portuguesa:
They started the league as one of the main favourites to take the trophy home.
Despite a shaky start with two defeats (away at Rio Ave and Aves) in five games in August, Jorge Jesus' side got going for the rest of the first half of the season and picked up 40 points. Only FC Porto (43) and SL Benfica (41) would finish above Mengãoat this stage of the competition.
In the second half of the season, things didn't go their way, picking up only 34. Even so, they fought for the title until the final round and could have been champions, had it not been for the Jesus syndrome.
A defeat (away at Santa Clara) and a draw (at home to Sporting) in the last four rounds meant Flamengo finished second…one point behind champions SL Benfica.
Suspense, taças e rivalidades
Suspense until the end
It was an extremely competitive league from start to finish.
4 teams fought neck and neck (SL Benfica, Flamengo, FC Porto, Sporting CP), with constant changes at the top, and Sporting de Braga always lurking for a slip.
The title could have gone either way. FC Porto went into the final round as leaders. Champions' sashes ordered and the fans ready to party, but surprisingly they left Portimão with a 2-1 defeat, handing the trophy to their eternal rivals, Benfica.
Cups and youth competitions
In the League Cup, after a flawless group stage, they were knocked out by FC Porto in the semi-finals, who went on to lose the final to Benfica.
The Taça de Portugal wasn't any better. After wins against São Martinho and Moreirense in the third and fourth rounds, they lost in the fifth round on penalties to Paços de Ferreira. Rio Ave went on to win the trophy, beating the side that knocked out the Rubro-Negro in the final.
Finally, good news. In the youth competitions, it was almost all Flamengo. They won the Liga Revelação titles (despite an average regular season) and the junior championship. In the Taça Revelação, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Portimonense. Sporting were crowned winners of the competition.
Contra rivais directos
Head to head against Benfica, Sporting and Porto, Mengão proved very capable.
In the league they had 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat:
Home wins against Benfica (3-2) and Porto (2-0), and away at Dragons they won again 3-1.
Two draws against Sporting.
A 2-0 defeat at the Luz, in a game where Diego Alves came off injured.
FC Porto got their revenge in the League Cup, knocking Jorge Jesus' side out in the semi-finals, 1-0.
Awards and conclusion
Prizes
Arrascaeta would finish as the league's second top scorer (level with RDT and Luiz Phellype), with 16 goals, behind SL Benfica's Carlos Vinicius with 20.
The Uruguayan attacking midfielder would also be Flamengo's best player by average rating, with 7.42. SL Benfica's Rafa would top it with 7.66 and also win the league's player of the year award.
Arrascaeta would again be second in man of the match awards (8), behind only FC Porto's creative Japanese player Nakajima, with 9.
Everton Ribeiro, with 10 assists, would be the competition's third best assist provider, where Sporting's Bruno Fernandes reigned with 13 assists.
Diego Alves kept clean sheets in 19 of 34 games and won the competition's goalkeeper of the year award.
Bruno Lage would be named manager of the year.
Conclusion
According to Football Manager 2020, Flamengo wouldn't easily dominate the Portuguese Primeira Liga, but they would be one of the main contenders to win it.
In the next article, we'll show Flamengo's second season competing in Portugal and how their European campaign would go (they qualified for the Champions League preliminary round),
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