Flamengo's football director, José Boto, stated on Friday morning that forward Gonzalo Plata would land in Rio de Janeiro around 4 PM the same day to report to the club. The Ecuadorian was at the center of a controversy involving the cancelled sale to Dynamo Moscow, but the forecast did not materialize. According to the club, the incorrect information was relayed by the player's own representatives.
Plata did not arrive in Rio at the scheduled time and now the expectation is that the return will only happen on Sunday. As a result, the forward will be absent for the match against Remo, scheduled at Mangueirão for the Brazilian Championship.
At the time when Boto stated the player would be arriving in Brazil, Plata had already left Russia and posted a photo on social media having dinner at a restaurant in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Ecuadorian commented on a proposal to play football in Dubai.
According to the player's staff, the trip to Rio was never scheduled for Friday afternoon. The departure to Brazil is now planned for Saturday, with arrival in Rio on Sunday. Flamengo still counts on Plata for the remainder of the season.
