Filipe Luís recalls early days at Flamengo, reveals: “I left crying” | OneFootball

What did Filipe Luís say about his start as coach of Flamengo’s youth teams?

Filipe Luís announced his retirement as a player at the end of 2023. However, the professional did not stay inactive for long. That is because, as early as January 2024, the former full-back was announced as coach of Flamengo’s under-17 team. Now, after a successful spell with the senior team, the coach recalled the beginning of his career as a manager.

— I didn’t know how to run training sessions, so I looked for someone who understood methodology, who knew how to lead training sessions and who fit into my game plan. The secret is to have people better than you by your side -, he said, before concluding:

— And I was lucky to find an assistant who helped me a lot with all those details and also to overcome the frustration of being a coach, because I thought I knew everything. In the first week, I almost left crying, because I saw no results in the youth ranks. For me, that was also a lesson in humility -, concluded Filipe Luís during the Conmebol Football Seminar in Asunción, Paraguay.

What was Filipe Luís’ journey like as Flamengo coach?

Filipe Luís began his coaching career with Flamengo’s under-17 team. On that occasion, the coach won the Copa Rio title against Vasco and, soon after, was chosen to take over Mengão’s under-20 team. In the higher youth category, the manager lifted the Club World Cup trophy against Olympiacos (GRE).

Thus, after Filipe Luís’ successful spell in the youth setup, former president Rodolfo Landim chose the coach to replace Tite in Flamengo’s senior team. The former Brazil national team coach was dismissed in September 2024, after a run of poor results and elimination from the Libertadores.

What were Filipe Luís’ numbers with Flamengo’s senior team?

In 101 matches as coach of Flamengo, Filipe Luís recorded 64 wins, 22 draws and 15 losses, with a 70% success rate. In addition, the coach won seven titles: Copa do Brasil, Supercopa do Brasil, Carioca, Brasileirão, Libertadores, Derby of the Americas and Challenger Cup.

However, after a historic 2025 season, Filipe Luís’ Flamengo did not produce good results at the start of 2026. Thus, in addition to finishing as runners-up in the Supercopa do Brasil and the Recopa Sudamericana, the strained relationship between the coach and president Bap culminated in the manager’s dismissal.

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