Zubeldía explains Fla-Flu pick, prefers Savarino out wide

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·13 avril 2026

Zubeldía explains Fla-Flu pick, prefers Savarino out wide

Coach Luis Zubeldía commented on Jefferson Savarino’s performance after Fluminense’s 2-1 defeat to Flamengo in the derby played at the Maracanã. The Venezuelan started on the bench, came on in the second half, and scored Tricolor’s only goal of the match.

Zubeldía explained that he chose to start the derby with Kevin Serna . According to the coach, Savarino performs better playing out wide, although he can also play through the middle.

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— It’s incredible because, of the several positions Savarino plays in, the one I like most is out wide, more than through the middle. Through the middle he can do it just fine because he’s a player who plays well. But, talking to him, the position he has played the least is on the inside. At Botafogo he used to rotate with Almada — the coach explained.

The coach also mentioned Ganso’s performance and the attempt to add more quality to the midfield throughout the match.

— Against Coritiba he (Savarino) came on through the middle and I didn’t see him as comfortable. Then he moved to the right side. When people ask me why Ganso started, it’s because Ganso is a natural playmaker and, with his characteristics, he played a good match, even when he dropped deeper.

Zubeldía highlighted that Savarino’s introduction helped change the way the team functioned in the second half, when Fluminense began to put more pressure on their rival.

— Savarino came on so we could have two technically gifted players in midfield, him and Ganso. I think that change altered the way we functioned a little and we kept pressing until the end. Whether we deserved the equalizer or not… it turned into a game that suited Flamengo’s counterattacks. They didn’t take advantage of them. We had our chances and didn’t take them. In the end, the result went Flamengo’s way — he concluded.

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