Flamengo add Brazilian title four days after Copa Libertadores win / Photo: Mauro PIMENTEL - AFP
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Flamengo add Brazilian title four days after Copa Libertadores win
Four days after beating Palmeiras to win their fourth Copa Libertadores, Flamengo secured the Brazilian title with a 1-0 success against Ceara at Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana stadium on Wednesday.
It was a ninth Brazilian crown for the country's most popular football club, and their third in the last seven seasons.
Samuel Lino, the club's record signing, scored the only goal of the game against Ceara to maintain Flamengo's now unassailable five-point lead at the top of Serie A over Palmeiras with just one game to go.
Flamengo became only the fifth Brazilian side in history to complete the Serie A-Copa Libertadores double, having also done so in 2019.
"In a few years (the players) will realise what they have achieved," said Flamengo's coach Filipe Luis. "They are eternal!"
Pele's Santos did the double in 1962 and 1963, and Botafogo managed it last year.
Meanwhile, Neymar scored a hat-trick for Santos in their 3-0 victory over Juventude to boost the Sao Paulo-based club's hopes of avoiding relegation.
Santos are now two points clear of the bottom four relegation spots with one match to go, against third-placed Cruzeiro who could yet pip Palmeiras to second place.
The season is not over for Flamengo who can still secure a treble by winning the Intercontinental Cup.
The Carioca club will play Mexicans Cruz Azul, the CONCACAF champions, on Wednesday of next week before the winner of that match takes on Egyptians Pyramids, champions of Africa, for a place in the final against European champions Paris Saint-Germain in Doha on December 17.
B.Chawla--MT
