Flamengo have sacked manager Filipe Luís just hours after his team thrashed Madureira 8-0 to reach the Campeonato Carioca final. The decision comes despite the 40-year-old winning seven trophies in 18 months, including the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian league title.
The club’s statement was brief: “Clube de Regatas do Flamengo informs that Filipe Luís will no longer be in charge of the professional team. Flamengo thanks former player and coach Filipe Luís for everything that was achieved.” Luís had been on the shortlist for the Chelsea job two months ago.
While an 8-0 win might seem an odd trigger, defeats in the Supercopa do Brasil and Recopa Sudamericana in February, plus a slow start in the league, are believed to have contributed. Some observers cite a prosaic style, over-reliance on set pieces, and neglect of youth as underlying issues.
Flamengo face Fluminense in the Carioca final on Sunday; victory would have given Luís an eighth trophy in 101 matches. His dismissal has drawn comparisons to an English club sacking a manager who won the Premier League and Champions League but lost the Community Shield and Super Cup.
President Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as “Bap”, now faces a test of his own judgment. If results falter under Luís’s successor, the demanding nature of Flamengo’s support may turn on him too.
