Zubeldía at Fluminense: the numbers behind his Tricolor spell | OneFootball

Luis Zubeldía’s spell at Fluminense came to an end this Thursday (13), after a 0-0 draw with Independiente Rivadavia at the Maracanã in the first leg of the Conmebol Libertadores round of 16. More than just the results, the end of his tenure also puts into perspective the numbers he built up since arriving at the club.

Considering a sample of 56 official matches, Zubeldía ended his time with the Tricolor with 25 wins, 18 draws, and 13 losses. Those numbers represent a return of approximately 55.4% of the points contested, as well as an average of 1.66 points per game.

The match count may vary depending on the statistical source used. ge, for example, published a different record for the coach. For this analysis, the sample adopted is the 56 official matches logged by Sofascore, avoiding the mix of matches recorded under different criteria.

More wins than losses

One of the main figures from Zubeldía’s spell is the positive gap between wins and losses.

There were 25 victories against 13 defeats. In other words, the coach won nearly twice as many matches as he lost. In percentage terms, wins account for 44.6% of the games, while losses correspond to 23.2%.

The figure that stands out the most, however, is the number of draws. There were 18 matches that ended level, equivalent to 32.1% of all Fluminense fixtures during the period.

In practice, the Tricolor failed to take all three points in nearly a third of its matches under the Argentine because of draws. This helps explain why a record of 25 wins did not turn into a more consistent campaign across all competitions.

A start that raised expectations

Zubeldía’s journey at Laranjeiras began with positive numbers.

In the first few months, the coach managed to improve Fluminense’s performances and quickly put the team in contention for the top spots in the 2025 Brazilian Championship. In November of that year, after 13 matches, the Argentine had seven wins, three draws, and three losses, with a 61.5% return.

The strong early performances also showed especially in matches played at the Maracanã.

In March 2026, Fluminense reached 20 home matches since the coach’s arrival, with 18 wins and two draws, along with 36 goals scored and only eight conceded. At that point, the home return was an impressive 93.3%.

His home record was therefore one of the Argentine’s main strengths during his spell.

Fourth place in the Brasileirão was the best result

Zubeldía’s main sporting achievement with Fluminense came in the 2025 Brazilian Championship.

Under his command, the Tricolor finished the competition in fourth place, securing a direct spot in the Libertadores and ending the league among the country’s top teams.

The performance fueled expectations that the project could gain even more momentum in 2026, especially with the coach staying on and the possibility of once again competing in the main domestic and continental tournaments.

The following season, however, brought greater inconsistency.

Taça Guanabara and runner-up in the Carioca

At the start of 2026, Zubeldía won the Taça Guanabara, but failed to turn the strong early campaign into a state title.

Fluminense advanced to the Campeonato Carioca final, but ended up losing to Flamengo and finished the competition as runners-up.

It was one of the first signs that, despite the good overall numbers, the project still had difficulties in decisive moments.

Copa do Brasil became one of the main pressure points

If the overall numbers show a positive record, the knockout clashes against rivals help explain the growing pressure on Zubeldía.

The coach was eliminated twice by Vasco in the Copa do Brasil during his time at Fluminense.

The most recent elimination came this very season. After drawing the first match and failing to overturn the situation in the return leg, the Tricolor exited the competition in the round of 16.

His performances in decisive derbies ended up becoming one of the negative hallmarks of the Argentine’s spell.

Libertadores ended with a negative run

The drop in performance became even more evident in the final stretch of his tenure.

Fluminense reached the Libertadores round of 16, but entered the knockout stage during a period of major instability. Before the draw with Independiente Rivadavia, the Tricolor had already gone winless since the end of May. The team came into the continental clash with six draws and one loss during that stretch.

The 0-0 at the Maracanã was Zubeldía’s last match in charge.

The winless run and the football displayed by the team, considered below expectations, ended up weighing more than the overall record built up over the months and led the board to opt for a change in the technical command.

Zubeldía’s numbers

In the 56-official-match sample, the Argentine’s spell can be summed up as follows:

A spell that ended differently from how it began

Zubeldía’s time at Fluminense therefore leaves mixed feelings.

The Argentine managed to lead the club to fourth place in the 2025 Brasileirão, won the 2026 Taça Guanabara, and posted impressive numbers in certain periods, especially at the Maracanã.

On the other hand, he finished without winning the main titles at stake, lost a Carioca final to Flamengo, suffered two eliminations by Vasco in the Copa do Brasil, and left the club right in the middle of a run of negative results.

In the end, 25 wins in 56 matches show that the spell was far from a statistical disaster. But for a Fluminense side that entered the season with ambitions of fighting for titles, the results in decisive moments and the drop in performance down the stretch ended up carrying more weight.

Now, the Tricolor will continue the season under caretaker boss Marcão, while the board looks for Zubeldía’s replacement.

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