Jardim vents after draw, doubts future in Brazil: “We don’t control games”

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·27 October 2025

Jardim vents after draw, doubts future in Brazil: “We don’t control games”

The coach Leonardo Jardim made a strong statement after the 0-0 draw between Cruzeiro and Palmeiras this Sunday (26), at Allianz Parque, during the 30th round of the Brazilian Championship. The Portuguese coach stated he is reconsidering his stay in Brazilian football, especially after the repeated refereeing errors that, according to him, have directly affected the results.

During the match, one of the most controversial moments occurred in the first half when Gustavo Gómez, Palmeiras' defender, hit Wanderson and had his expulsion recommended by the VAR — but referee Rafael Klein chose to maintain only the yellow card. The incident caused outrage among Cruzeiro fans and was the trigger for Jardim's strong criticism in the post-match press conference.

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“When I arrived here, two or three people said: ‘Welcome to Brazil’. I am very frustrated. As a coach, I can only influence certain things, like preparing the players, working, training,” the Portuguese began.

The visibly upset coach questioned whether it is still worth staying in the country, despite the satisfaction he has felt with the team and Cruzeiro's fans.

“The joy I have experienced in Brazil with the fans, with the fantastic group I have at Cruzeiro, with all these people... I am frustrated if it is worth continuing in Brazil when, in reality, we are not the ones controlling the games.”

Jardim also mentioned the lack of consistency in refereeing during the match, comparing similar incidents that received different punishments on other occasions.

“Regarding the game, many things happened that are not worth reporting. From Kaiki with his lip all swollen and the game not stopping. Any incident in the first half with an opposing player on the ground, the referee would stop. Fabrício (Bruno) did not commit any foul, the opponent did and got expelled... it's the double standards. The same referee expelled Rincon, in Santos vs. Sport, for an identical situation. They say ‘welcome to Brazil’, but I don't want that for myself, because I like to control the game, I want the players to be responsible on the field.”

In one of the harshest moments of the interview, the coach criticized the structure of Brazilian football, pointing out the lack of professionalism in refereeing, issues with the pitches, and the absence of a strong players' union.

“Today I was with Gabriel (Barbosa) and he asked me if Brazil was in my top 5 leagues, and I said no. As long as a group of professionals is managed or refereed on the field by amateurs, as long as there is no standardization of the pitches, as long as there is no strong players' union to advocate for a better schedule, we will not enter the top 5.”

Finally, Jardim thanked and left his future at Cruzeiro uncertain:

“We have talent, emotion, the most spectacular fans I have ever worked with, but honestly, I don't know if all this is worth it. I think it's better to end here. Thank you, everyone.”

With the result, the team remained in 3rd place, now with 57 points, four behind Flamengo and five behind leader Palmeiras, both with a game in hand. In the continuation of the competition, Cruzeiro returns to the field next Saturday (1st), at 4 PM, at Mineirão, against Vitória, for the 31st round.

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