Jardim on Cruzeiro controversy, eyes new season at Flamengo | OneFootball

This Thursday, Leonardo Jardim was officially introduced as the new coach of Flamengo. Facing a great challenge, the Portuguese coach thanked the management of the Rio de Janeiro club for the opportunity to lead the “Best in the Americas,” as he described it.

“I want to thank Flamengo, its president, and Boto (football director) for this invitation. It is a great honor to wear the jersey and coach a club with the stature of Flamengo, the greatest in the Americas. It is a great prestige. I hope to be up to the task to honor this shirt and to know that I will propose what I have always proposed in my career, which is to achieve the club's objectives.”, he said.

Explanation about leaving Cruzeiro

Leo Jardim led Cruzeiro for 55 games in a year of work and highlighted that he would not coach another club besides Cabuloso in Brazil. Four months after leaving the Minas Gerais club, Leo Jardim explained his decision to return to another Brazilian club.

“Those were very heartfelt words. I felt very good in BH, believed in the medium or long-term project. But life sometimes creates some surprises, in the family and personal part that I had to resolve. And, at the same time, there were some structural ideas different from those I believed in. And that’s why the Cruzeiro chapter ended earlier.”, he recalled.

Relationship and conversation with Filipe Luís

The 51-year-old coach arrives to replace Filipe Luís, who was dismissed after winning the Brazilian Championship and Libertadores in 2025. Leonardo Jardim revealed his conversation and relationship with Filipe, as well as recalling similar moments in his professional career.

“In my life, I had a very similar experience to this. At Monaco, when I left, we were coming from a 4-1 victory against Lille. I know it’s not an easy situation. But as soon as I received the invitation from Flamengo, I called Filipe and said: “I’m sure you don’t want to talk much now” and in the message, I said that if it wasn’t Jardim, it would be someone else, because the decision of his departure has nothing to do with me. But for me, our relationship remains the same. I’ve been dismissed and received the new coach, we are entering a process and we have to do our job.”, he said.

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Work method and Flamengo's DNA

When asked about his working method, the coach revealed that he will maintain the DNA formed in the team, emphasizing that he will not come wanting to impose radical changes, even if he disagrees with them.

“My way of working, I always give importance to the type of squad I have and what their main characteristics are. I believe we have a DNA already formed within the team, the club, which we certainly want to maintain. The squad is formed in this way. I told the players: we are not going to come here and radically change some situations, even if I disagree with something. But without changing what was Flamengo's strength in the previous year, mainly.”, he revealed.

Leonardo Jardim also highlighted that some ideas from Filipe Luís will be maintained, but he will work to improve Flamengo in other nuances of the game.

“Some of Filipe's ideas will continue, but football has many nuances. Sometimes teams play in transition, then in possession. And I think a good team has to have this variability. The best teams in the world have this variability, and we have to balance that.”, he explained.

First challenge: Carioca final against Fluminense

Leo Jardim's first commitment will be the final of the Carioca Championship against Fluminense. The match will take place this Sunday, starting at 6 PM (Brasília time), at Maracanã. The experienced coach revealed how he will work with the squad just four days before a big game.

“It’s difficult because we are four days away from a classic, and I know the importance of the classic for the fans. And we also want to compete against an opponent that has created some difficulties for us in history. I take this opportunity to thank the players who welcomed me very well, for trying to develop the ideas in the best way.”, he revealed.

“There were two days when I had no time for anything, there were meetings, observations. There was no time to see what was happening around. And I am extremely focused because I know we only have four days to organize a game as important as Flamengo and Fluminense.”, he added.

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