Previously as an interim, Filipe Luís now has the mission of managing Flamengo, the best squad in the Americas, until December 2025.
What can we expect from the young coach, aged just 39, with no professional football experience?
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Index
The Flamengo Situation
In a previous article, when the dismissal of coach Tite was announced and Filipe Luís was named interim, his brief coaching résumé was outlined.
As usual, this measure seemed like just a stopgap to allow time for the club to find a permanent coach capable of handling the responsibility of managing a team like Flamengo.
The context in which the most expensive squad in the Americas finds itself is no surprise to anyone. Since Dorival Jr. left the helm, they’ve been unable to win any major competitions.
The football on display has also fallen far short of expectations, considering the investment made in the squad.
On top of being knocked out of the Copa Libertadores and delivering a lacklustre performance in the Brasileirão, Tite’s team wasn’t playing well.
Before any analysis, you’d expect that a team with creative and attacking options like Gerson, De La Cruz, Arrascaeta, Gonzalo Plata, Everton Cebolinha, Bruno Henrique, Gabigol, Luiz Araújo, and many more, would at least be a creative force. Not to mention the injured Pedro and Michael.
But that wasn’t the case. Even with this arsenal, Flamengo created very little and played tedious football.
This lack of creativity was often a feature of Tite’s teams, who were always known for their focus on collective work without the ball and a vertical style of play.
However, this type of play is unacceptable considering the quality of the squad and the culture of the club and its fans.
In this regard, the legendary Muricy Ramalho said on ESPN’s Bola da Vez programme:
“There are two teams in Brazil that won’t accept this type of football: Santos and Flamengo. The fans won’t have it. They don’t want to know. All they care about is that you have to attack, and that’s that!
That’s the fans’ mindset. And there’s no point in you, as the manager, trying to change that because you won’t, and they’ll go ahead and sack you.”
His 2019 interview couldn’t be more relevant today, showcasing the wisdom and insight of one of Brazil’s greatest managers.
Image: Youtube ESPN
How can Filipe Luís make a difference?
The question remains: is Filipe Luís ready to take on this role? Is he the right man for the job?
Only time will answer these questions, but there are some parallels to draw.
Firstly, Filipe Luís’s familiarity with key players in the squad. Among them, the remnants of the second-best Flamengo side in history, from 2019: Bruno Henrique, Gabigol, and Arrascaeta.
Gabigol is likely to get more opportunities, given his close relationship with the former left-back.
Moreover, Filipe Luís is a very successful player, having won numerous titles, not only in Brazil but also in Europe.
He has a strong bond with the club, given everything he’s won while wearing the Rubro-Negro shirt.
The lack of experience, which obviously brings its challenges, hasn’t been a barrier for other managers in similar situations.
The main examples are Xabi Alonso, who had just a two-season spell with Sanse (Real Sociedad B) and is now one of the most sought-after managers in the world following his meteoric rise with Bayer Leverkusen.
Another example is Vincent Kompany, who managed Burnley, leading them to promotion to the Premier League, only to be relegated back to the Championship. Now at Bayern Munich, he’s struggled early in the season but has already delivered emphatic wins, including 5-0, 9-2, and even 14-1 victories.
What these three have in common is that they were all former players with strong leadership qualities, having played at the highest level and worked with a variety of coaching styles. They also retired fairly recently.
Image: Marcelo Cortes /CRF / Esporte News Mundo
Another point is that, being an unproven manager, the fans might show some patience in allowing him to implement his ideas, provided they see that he is trying to impose a style of play that aligns with the club’s culture.
The downsides are clear. Starting with the natural pressure of managing Flamengo, compounded by the decisions he’ll have to make soon.
In his first match as permanent coach, he secured a 1-0 win over Corinthians in the semi-final of the 2024 Copa do Brasil at the Maracanã.
This competition is one Filipe Luís must cling to, as he’s just a draw away from the final.
As for the Brasileirão, fourth place is a concern, with Flamengo sitting on 48 points, just three ahead of Internacional, who are in seventh place with 45 points.
Therefore, failing to qualify for the 2025 Copa Libertadores would be a disaster for the club.
Thus, Flamengo is heading for a rollercoaster of emotions until the end of the year, be they good or bad.
What do you think? Will Filipe Luís do a good job in charge of Flamengo?
Image: Gilvan de Souza/Flamengo
Written by Vitor F L Miller.
