Libertadores exit could prompt Flamengo player cull

Rio de Janeiro: Flamengo may be forced to cull their squad if they fail to advance beyond the Copa Libertadores group stage, the club`s president has warned.

Flamengo are currently last in Group 7 and need to win their remaining matches against Ecuador`s Emelec and Mexico`s Leon to qualify for the knockout phase, reported Xinhua. "An early exit could force us to make some financial adjustments," the Rio de Janeiro club`s president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello said during a press conference. "But we are taking it easy and hoping for the best results. I think that we are prepared to deal with any problems that arise." Elimination in the group phrase will reportedly cost the club $4 million in lost revenue. Atletico Mineiro and Corinthians, the past two Copa Libertadores winners, have both revealed difficulties in paying players wages this year. Mello did not guarantee that Flamengo would avoid salary delays in the coming months. "We are going to do everything we can to avoid (delays)," he said. "We have to wait and see. The priority is to win matches, that is the most important thing at the moment."