Leonardo Jardim appointed Flamengo head coach after 2020 recommendation from Jorge Jesus | OneFootball

Flamengo have appointed Leonardo Jardim head coach on a two-season deal to December 2027, reviving a link first made in 2020 when Jorge Jesus suggested him as a possible successor.

At the time, Fox Sports reported that, after a lunch between Marcos Braz and Jesus, the coach recommended Jardim as someone who could keep the team at a very high level, while stressing the tip did not guarantee an appointment.

Since Jesus’s exit, Flamengo have cycled through managers including Doménec Torrent, Rogério Ceni, Renato Gaúcho, Paulo Sousa, Dorival Júnior, Vítor Pereira, Jorge Sampaoli, Tite and Filipe Luís.

Jardim also moved on, most recently at Cruzeiro, while the club’s hierarchy shifted, with football director José Boto overseeing this hire rather than Marcos Braz.

A Recopa defeat to Lanús of Argentina hastened internal decisions, the board ending Filipe Luís’s tenure and reopening talks with Jardim. He had declined late last year, citing a need for rest.

This time he accepted. The club waited for the Campeonato Carioca semi-final before confirming Filipe Luís’s departure, which came after the 8-0 win over Madureira.

Jardim meets the squad on Wednesday 4 March and is expected to begin training for the Carioca final.

Flamengo face Fluminense at the Maracanã on Sunday 8 March at 18:00 Brasília time, when Jardim will lead the side for the first time with another state title on the line.

Source: Coluna Do Fla