Fluminense, after the first thirteen rounds of the 2024 Brazilian Championship, the current Copa Libertadores champions, have been performing terribly in this year’s Brasileirão.
As a result, the Tricolor das Laranjeiras are languishing at the bottom of the table, holding the last spot for at least another round, as even a win in the next match won’t be enough to overtake Corinthians, the second to last.
Follow us for the latest performances, Diniz’s departure, and future prospects.
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Index
The Departure of Diniz
Football is a funny game.
Not long ago, Fernando Diniz delivered Fluminense their first and much-coveted Copa Libertadores.
Playing his way, the coach achieved everyone’s dream, reaching the position of head coach of the Brazilian national team.
Although he had a dismal performance with the Seleção, he can still say he was there.
However, in 2024, the excellent performances became a thing of the past. In the Carioca Championship, they were eliminated by Flamengo in the semifinals.
In the Libertadores, their performances weren’t great, but they still managed to qualify for the round of 16. For now, the prospects of going far in the tournament are quite slim.
In the Brasileirão, they have only six points, with one win, three draws, and nine losses.
They have the second-worst goal difference, with a deficit of 11 goals, and the second-worst defense, having conceded 21 goals.
The attack, which was always a hallmark of Diniz’s work, especially at Flu, also didn’t function. They have the third-worst attack, with 10 goals scored.
All these factors, combined with the lack of prospects for positive results, led the Tricolor board to decide to discontinue Fernando Diniz’s work.
President Mario Bittencourt stated that the coach’s dismissal happened against his will, arguing that he had to follow Brazilian standards.
The fact is, undeniably, that work cycles come to an end at some point. Since the beginning of the year, Fernando Diniz couldn’t impose his style of play. Not only did the results stop appearing, but the type of play did as well.
When the team loses the essence of the coach’s style, it’s probably because there are no more fruits to be harvested there.
Now, the possible reasons for this occurrence are varied, which we will try to describe below.
Image: Reproduction UOL
Fluminense’s Lacklustre Performances
The football that made Diniz successful at Fluminense was non-positional.
This, coupled with the relentless pursuit of goals, led to the creation of many opportunities.
Even if the team lost the match, they had significant indicators like shots and possession.
Recently, however, these numbers have plummeted, as seen in both the scores and the performances.
This could have happened due to several factors:
Average Age of the Team
When we look at the average age of Flu’s squad, we find it to be 26 years, which can be considered quite reasonable.
However, when we observe the matches, the starting eleven and the main substitutes, we find a much higher average.
Considering the starting eleven for the match against Grêmio, the average age was 32.4 years.
Options on the bench included Ganso (34), Renato Augusto (36), and Douglas Costa (33).
Diniz’s style of play demands a lot from the players physically. The constant movements wear out the players, making it outdated if such physical strength cannot be delivered by the main actors.
Image: Felipe Duest, Pera Photo Press
Lack of Innovation
Fernando Diniz has always been criticized for his lack of repertoire. The Fluminense team didn’t abandon their style of play even against the mighty Manchester City.
Thus, it is not absurd to think that it became increasingly difficult for Fluminense to face their opponents. This is because their style of play has been extensively studied by opponents, who have devised various ways to neutralize it.
Therefore, the inability to deal with this adversity made the team predictable and easy prey for rivals.
End of the Cycle
One of Diniz’s trademarks is the relationship of trust he builds with his players.
He has the ability to convince the players to buy into his ideas and run tirelessly for him and his style of play.
From last year to this, players have left and joined the club.
There is a possibility that these new players haven’t assimilated Diniz’s words, causing the coach to lose control over the dressing room, as in other days.
Finally, these are just speculations, as it is impossible to pinpoint the exact reason for the failure of a team that played so well not long ago.
What can be said is that the roots are multifaceted and can be addressed, as the market is still open for both players and coaches.
Do you believe Fluminense will avoid relegation?
Image: Gilson Lobo/AGIF
Written by Vitor Miller.
