Zubeldía explains back three, admits: “We’re in a vulnerable spell”

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·4 Mei 2026

Zubeldía explains back three, admits: “We’re in a vulnerable spell”

Coach Luis Zubeldía analyzed Fluminense's defeat to Internacional and commented on the team’s tactical choices in the match played at Beira-Rio. In a press conference, the coach explained the decision to start the game with three center-backs and acknowledged that the team is going through a delicate moment in the season.

According to Zubeldía, the formation with three defenders — Jemmes, Millán, and Freytes — was mainly influenced by the physical fatigue of some key players in the squad.

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— The possibility of using three center-backs... there are players who, because of the accumulation of matches, like Hércules, we had to manage a little. The same with Savarino. That affects the lineup. Three in midfield was also an option, as we did against Santos and in many matches last year. The option with three center-backs was what we had left. We made a mistake in the first half that allowed them to attack the space and take the lead in a game we had under control — he explained.

The coach also commented on the changes made during the match. According to him, the change in system was influenced by the referee’s disciplinary approach, as he handed out several yellow cards early in the game.

— When we changed, it was because the referee was giving out a lot of yellow cards, and we had players who were limited — he said.

After that, Zubeldía went back to a back four to try to increase Fluminense’s attacking threat, with Savarino coming on in the second half.

— I went back to a back four to bring on Savarino for 45 minutes. Just when it seemed like we could take advantage of the situations, they put together a good counterattack and made things very difficult. They attacked the space well.

Finally, the coach acknowledged that the team is going through an unstable spell, marked by the strain of the schedule and the difficulty in turning the chances created into goals.

— We’re in a vulnerable moment, a difficult one because of the schedule and because we’re not getting the results we want. And we’re vulnerable because we’re not converting our chances. We’re at a point in the schedule when we didn’t want to be going through this, but we are. I’m responsible, I’m not complaining. As a team, we have to correct things so we’re not so vulnerable. It’s important to be doing well at this stage of the season, to have confidence, and to strike before the opponent — he concluded.

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