Fans who buy a shirt for R$39,90 will receive a discount on games.

The South American title is the first step for Flamengo to play in the World Cup

Rubens Lisboa

Lancepress - SAO PAULO

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Flamengo is working on an immediate solution to settle the outstanding salaries of its basketball players and coaching staff. According to the club's vice president of Olympic sports, João Henrique Areias, a themed jersey will be released later this week, and the funds will be used exclusively to pay salaries.

"We'll launch a series of four or five shirts with a differentiated royalty with the manufacturer, Brasiline. If we sell 10 shirts per month, we'll pay the salaries," Areias explained. (Click and hear more)

The shirt will cost R$39,90 and the fan who buys it will pay R$5 to watch the basketball games, which cost R$20.

The manager's incentive for the participation of the red-and-black fans is the possibility of competing in a World Cup again.

"Flamengo has the best basketball team in Brazil. They're competing in the South American finals, and if they win, they'll play in the League of the Americas, which qualifies them for the World Cup. Flamengo fans haven't experienced a World Cup since 1981," Areias said.

Another alternative worked on by the club is a partnership with a city hall in the State of Rio de Janeiro, along the lines of resolving a similar problem in Flamengo's artistic gymnastics, which reached an agreement with the city hall of Niterói (RJ).

"We're looking for a city hall in the state of Rio de Janeiro that's willing to host Flamengo until June. The city will benefit from national visibility with games on TV and brand use in advertising. In exchange, the city pays their salaries, which can reach R$250 per month," explains João Henrique Areias. (Click and hear more).