The phone has started ringing about Renê again, and this time the name on the line is Internacional. Fluminense are listening politely and promising nothing.
10 goals in 13 games at Bahia — numbers that travel home faster than he does. Somebody at Fluminense updates a spreadsheet every Monday, and it makes better reading each week.
Mirassol will want this one forgotten quickly: 4‑0, every duel lost, and a long ride home. Fluminense were ruthless in the way good sides are ruthless.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Fluminense can pretend not to have heard.
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Vitor Eudes knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
3 months left, and both sides know what that means: every week without a signature, the fee Fluminense could ask drops and the wages Hulk can ask rise.
Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Hulk has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. Fluminense know, and have known for weeks.