Flamengo fires medical chief after explosive De La Cruz leak | OneFootball

José Luiz Runco has been dismissed as chief of Flamengo’s medical department following a controversy over leaked private comments about midfielder Nicolás De La Cruz’s fitness, according to reporting from Lance.

The decision to part ways with Runco came just one day after a WhatsApp message in which he questioned the suitability of De La Cruz’s signing was leaked. In this message, Runco described the Uruguayan international as having a “chronic and irreparable” right knee injury, as well as an issue in the left knee. He suggested Flamengo’s recent acquisition could struggle to maintain a consistent run of matches and doubted whether any competitive team would be interested in the player for footballing reasons. The message, intended for a private group of club supporters on WhatsApp, quickly found its way to the public domain, raising concerns about the confidentiality of sensitive medical information within the club.

The club addressed the issue in an official statement on Wednesday, notably omitting Runco’s name when listing the five doctors responsible for the day-to-day medical operations of the first team. Flamengo emphasized that these doctors—Fernando Sassaki, Luiz Macedo, Dieno Portella, Vitor Pereira, and Bruno Hassel—attend to players across training, matches, and travel, and maintain transparency with the press and fans. The club further stated it would not comment on speculation and intended to focus on sporting objectives.

Runco, formerly with the Brazilian national team and a Flamengo veteran until 2015, returned earlier this year under President Luiz Eduardo Baptista (“Bap”), initially charged with standardizing medical services across the whole club rather than direct involvement with the professional squad. His role as department head, but not day-to-day team doctor, was cited as reason for his absence from Flamengo’s official list of frontline medical staff in the public statement, per Lance.

After the leak, De La Cruz responded indirectly via social media, while teammate Arrascaeta backed him with a post urging the need to "take care of our own." The situation quickly became untenable; the controversy, coupled with public and player reaction, led the Flamengo board to conclude that Runco’s continued presence was unsustainable.

Vitor Sergio Rodrigues of TNT Sports commented that the club’s leadership acted decisively and “perfectly” under these circumstances, asserting that no medical professional should breach patient confidentiality, regardless of context.

Runco’s departure marks a major internal shift for Flamengo, which had appointed him to address criticism of the club’s injury management last season. For now, the medical department continues under the leadership of those named in the club’s statement, while Flamengo’s administration reiterates its priorities lie with team performance and athlete welfare.

(Sources: Lance)