Gossip and Filipe Luís: Leonardo Jardim speaks out on Flamengo v Vitória | OneFootball

Flamengo beat Vitória 2-0 at the Maracanã in the 22nd round of the Brasileirão

Flamengo beat Vitória on Sunday (09) after a frustrating week in the transfer market. So, after the 22nd round of the Brasileirão, Leonardo Jardim pushed back against rumors that there was bad blood with director José Boto or president Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as Bap.

– As for the market, I’ve already said there are people responsible for that. I’m not going to talk because if I give an opinion, as I did in the past, about the market, needs, tomorrow it will come out: “Jardim is against Boto, Boto is against Bap” -, he said, adding:

– And no. What happens is that right now we have our squad. Since I arrived, I’ve stuck with the squad and tried to develop ideas with the squad. End of story. There’s no other situation to explain -, he stressed, and added:

– “Oh, but the opponent went and got 4, 5 players.” That’s the opponent’s problem. Our situation is what we have to face Cruzeiro twice, and it’s with these players that we believe we can get the team through, which is the objective -, Jardim pointed out after the match at the Maracanã.

What is Jardim’s context at Flamengo?

Leonardo Jardim’s men beat Vitória 2-0 after two draws in the Brasileirão and two failed transfer pursuits. Meanwhile, Palmeiras are pulling away at the top, Luiz Henrique stayed at Zenit (RUS), and Thiago Almada went to River Plate (ARG).

As a result, some fans and media outlets theorized about hostility between Jardim and Flamengo’s board. After all, the coach asked for reinforcements, which the club has so far been unable to sign.

Does Leonardo Jardim feel his job is under threat?

– Those people who criticize, when I arrived here in February, I looked at the criticism they were making today, and they were the same ones who were tearing apart the coach (Filipe Luís), who had come in as a champion, a Libertadores champion and winner of other trophies -, he said, and added:

That’s why I said that anyone who doesn’t win has to be subject to criticism, especially at Flamengo. That’s the history here, that’s how I see it. So anyone in this position who isn’t expecting criticism had better change jobs and profession -, he stressed.

How did the rest help Flamengo beat Vitória?

– Everyone who came from the Cup and those who were injured will have a process, but they have to play. Today I had the chance to use Paquetá a little. Paquetá is not at his best yet, he was injured, but he has to be brought in. It’s not easy to work at a club that for two months hasn’t had its full squad -, he pointed out, and added:

– Some were injured, others on vacation or with the national team. In these 10 days we worked together more than in the last 2 months. The fans don’t want to know about that, but what worries me sometimes isn’t the fans, because they don’t understand the sporting issue -, he said.

How does Leonardo Jardim see Flamengo vs. Cruzeiro?

– I expect a packed Mineirão. It’s a very important competition for the club. It has already won 4 in its 134-year history. We had a first half of the season that was one of the best in history. Our ambition is always the same in every competition Flamengo takes part in -, he said.

How did Flamengo beat Vitória?

– What we did today (pressing the opponent) we had already done at some moments, but we stopped doing it during the World Cup break. The group wasn’t all together, we went some days without training together. We had 10 days, we made the most of it and, after 45 minutes of pressure, there were already players struggling in the second half -, he stressed.

Was Leonardo Jardim trying to answer Flamengo’s fans?

– I don’t have to send a message to the fans because they are always right. They will support us at some moments, at others they will curse us. We have responsibility and we have to take action. Sometimes my best isn’t enough, but it’s what I give -, he noted.

Does Leonardo Jardim have a plan to face Cruzeiro?

– Cruzeiro have one of the three best squads in the Brasileirão. They already did last year, and this year they lost few players. They lost Kaiki and went out and brought in 5 or 6 players to strengthen the squad. We have to play our game, rely on our individual quality, but also put together a good collective performance -, he pointed out.

Did Leonardo Jardim congratulate Ayrton Lucas?

– I have coached some of the best full-backs in the world and he is tremendous. I closed the dressing room and congratulated him. He played a great game. He has the qualities to play football at a high level, he is quick, technically good, strong in the air. I’d like to see this Ayrton more often at Flamengo. This player can help us a lot in terms of our objectives -, he said.

Are there unhappy players at Flamengo?

– Do you believe that in a squad of 25 players everyone is satisfied? Not everyone is satisfied. Today, with the team’s attitude, I didn’t see anyone play in a way we don’t want. In football, not everyone can be satisfied. If I were a player and I wasn’t playing, I’d be bothered too. But it’s funny, because coaches change and the ones who play are almost always the same -, he stressed.

Why can’t Flamengo be intense every game?

– I saw players who were out of training rhythm, some still aren’t at their best level and will improve in August, because they come from different realities. You look at the World Cup, there were players who didn’t play, they were training, and they had two months -, he said, and added:

– It’s very funny because a lot of people don’t believe in training. I have to believe in training. I come from leagues, especially in Europe and Asia, where there is time to train. My criticism of Brazil is that sometimes we don’t have time to train -, he recalled, and added:

– Neither we nor Cruzeiro do. Every three days, they play. Every four days. It’s the same as going to college and taking a test every four days without going to class. But there are people who believe that’s how it works -, he said.

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