Thiago Neves begins managerial career, still dreams of leading Tricolor

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·26 August 2026

Thiago Neves begins managerial career, still dreams of leading Tricolor

Thiago Neves is taking his first steps as a coach, but the former attacking midfielder has already made clear his desire to return to Fluminense in a new role. Recently, the Tricolor idol said he would like to manage the club and, after stating in a live stream that he would coach Fluminense, he also began talking about his ideas for a career on the sidelines.

Currently in charge of Bangu’s under-20 team, Thiago has been building his first experience as a head coach and has already led the side to the final of the Otávio Pinto Guimarães Tournament (OPG). On the way to the final, Bangu eliminated Fluminense itself. In the final, however, the team ended up losing to Botafogo with a goal scored in the closing minutes.

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The experience at youth level has helped the former player put into practice a philosophy that blends organization and freedom. Thiago says he does not compromise on tactical discipline, but believes players need the autonomy to make decisions, especially from midfield forward.

I like a lot of tactical discipline. […] I like a team that is very tactically disciplined, with speed and aggression.

At the same time, the former attacking midfielder does not want his players to be limited by a rigid system. Creativity—precisely one of the traits that marked his playing career—appears as one of the pillars of the work he intends to develop.

I do not compromise on tactical discipline, but I do not turn my players into robots. From midfield forward, creativity is up to them.

This idea is directly related to one of Thiago Neves’ main references in his new profession: Renato Gaúcho. The former player highlighted the way the coach is able to organize his teams without taking away the players’ freedom to play.

I really like Renato’s style, I really do. Besides being a guy with tremendous vision of the game, on the same wavelength as the players, it’s the freedom he gives everyone to play freely, lightly, and with confidence, moving the ball around. I like Renato’s style, I always have, and the confidence he gives his players.

Thiago also mentioned Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp among the coaches he admires. His intention, however, is to absorb concepts from different schools and build an identity of his own.

The possibility of one day managing Fluminense is still a long shot, but the former attacking midfielder has already made it clear publicly that he would like to be given that opportunity. Now, as he begins his path as a coach, Thiago Neves is starting to turn into work on the training ground the ideas that, until recently, had been expressed only as the opinions of a former player.

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