Cruzeiro confirm Luciano Dias departs as Under-20 coach | OneFootball

Cruzeiro has officially announced the departure of Luciano Dias, who held the position of head coach for the under-20 team. The decision, communicated on Wednesday morning, is part of a restructuring process of the club’s youth divisions, aiming to optimize and strengthen the development of new talents.

In an official statement, the club formalized the professional’s exit: “Cruzeiro announces the departure of Luciano Dias as head coach of the Celeste Under-20 team. The club thanks the professional for his services and wishes him success in the next steps of his career.”

Luciano Dias had been in charge of the under-20 team since October 2024. During his tenure, the team played 48 matches, achieving a success rate of 63.1%. His work also included winning the Under-20 Campeonato Mineiro in October 2025 and reaching the semifinals of the national Under-20 Championship, where the team was eliminated by Palmeiras.

The departure of Luciano Dias comes during a period of changes in Cruzeiro’s youth development structure. In early November, the club announced the hiring of Fred Cascardo (formerly of Atlético-MG and América-MG) as the new director of football for the youth divisions.

Additionally, the under-17 coaching staff was also changed, with the departure of coach Tony Talibã and the promotion of Wendel, a former club midfielder, who leaves the under-16s to take charge of the under-17 team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.