In Rio de Janeiro, an old Flamengo shirt has prompted an unexpected conversation around Xavi Simons, with supporters imagining the Dutch international in the red and black after a store post caught attention online.
Key takeaways
- The shirt in question featured Lubrax as its main sponsor and was made by Umbro.
- Flamengo fans responded playfully, suggesting that Simons could one day join the Brazilian club.
- Simons came through Barcelona’s academy before spells with Paris Saint-Germain and PSV.
- He later moved to RB Leipzig and then Tottenham.
- The Netherlands player is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
A Flamengo shirt sparks a continental football fantasy
The image of Simons connected to Flamengo’s traditional colours was enough to set the club’s fanbase talking. The vintage-style shirt, carrying the Lubrax branding and Umbro badge, revived memories of an earlier Flamengo era while giving supporters a reason to joke about a transfer from north London to Rio.
There has been no indication of a move, but the reaction underlined the reach of Flamengo’s identity beyond Brazil and the appeal of imagining one of Europe’s better-known Dutch attackers in the Maracanã setting.
Recovery after World Cup disappointment
Simons’ career has already taken him through several major European football cities. Developed at Barcelona, he subsequently played for Paris Saint-Germain and PSV, where his profile rose sharply, before joining RB Leipzig and later Tottenham.
For now, however, his focus is rehabilitation. The Dutch player suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, an injury that ruled him out of the World Cup. While Flamengo supporters have enjoyed a light-hearted transfer thought, Simons’ immediate task remains returning to fitness.
