Leonardo Jardim won his first trophy as new manager of Flamengo just three days after being appointed, lifting the Campeonato Carioca in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
Mengão defeated bitter rivals Fluminense 5-4 on penalties in front of over 69,000 people after a 0-0 draw at Maracanã Stadium, making it a remarkable debut on the Flamengo bench for Jardim following an unexpected return to Brazilian football.
It has been a rollercoaster week for Flamengo, with their sacking of previous manager Filipe Luís making worldwide news given the perceived harshness of the decision. Luís departed last week despite guiding the club to a Brazilian league and South American Copa Libertadores double last term.
A former player of Flamengo, Luís was surprisingly given his marching orders after an 8-0 victory over Madureira booked their place in Sunday’s final. Rumblings of discontent between the club and Luís over contractual matters had been present for some time, but the official line pointed to defeats in the Brazilian Supercup to Corinthians and the South American Supercup to Lanus last month.
Having been thrust into the most awkward of introductions to a stunned squad of players on Thursday, Jardim set about preparing for Sunday’s match. The former Sporting and Monaco coached had vowed not to coach in Brazil again after leaving Cruzeiro in December at the end of a strong campaign, but the appeal of Flamengo proved enough to temp him back from his residence in Monte Carlo.
“First of all, it's a great satisfaction to be here and to make my Fla-Flu debut,” Jardim said after clinching Flamengo’s 40th Carioca title. “Many years ago, I came to see a Fla-Flu at the old Maracanã and it was extraordinary.
"It's great to win a title in Brazil, something that hadn't happened to me in my career before. I'm in my second year here. But whoever coaches Flamengo is closer to winning titles.
“I want to thank the staff for all the support they gave me these past five days, the players' attitude, for believing in the idea. And also, a big hug to Filipe (Luís), because he built this team, even though he left.”
Tentative early steps
There is little doubt Jardim faces a huge task in his new surroundings, made clear when the Flamengo fans sung Filipe Luís’ name during the trophy celebrations. Not only did Luís enjoy a strong bond and memories with his players, some of whom were ex-teammates, there was a perception that the former full-back was a skilled man-manager whose laid-back approach to communication was popular with the squad.
Indeed, some reports indicate the appeal of Jardim to sections of the Flamengo board is his reputation as a more hard-lined stern hand, deemed appropriate following the slip-ups in recent cup finals. The Carioca Championship was considered the least important of three early-season trophies, but after the defeats to Corinthians and Lanus, Sunday’s final was deemed a must-win for Jardim less than a week into the job.
According to reports, the Portuguese has been clear in treading carefully in his approach given the delicate nature of the situation at the club. Numerous players expressed dismay at Luís’ departure, with defender Léo Ortiz admitting, “the treatment of a club idol was disappointing” and that there “have been failures” in how the situation was handled.
However, Ortiz joined several others in making positive observations about the appointment of Jardim. “We lost a great coach, but we gained another great one, a winning guy who comes to contribute and help us win," Ortiz said. Star striker Bruno Henrique added: “Jardim is a guy who came in and talked to everyone, he emphasised the importance of everyone being able to work well. He's a very high-level guy, and we hope we can help him win more.”
Tactical issues ahead?
One aspect sure to intrigue observers will be the game model employed by Jardim, whose success in leading Cruzeiro last term was based on a familiar pattern of his teams utilising counter attacks as the main weapon. Sunday’s stalemate against Fluminense saw Flamengo use a more measured approach than is usually desired by Brazil’s most popular club, with less focus on build-up and a more direct method of attacking.
“Regarding the defense, the most important thing is to win, but we like to have a balanced team,” Jardim insisted. “In analysing the last few games, I noticed some transitions where they scored goals and created dangerous situations; today we managed to be more compact. We have a lot to improve as a team.
"Because we're just starting out and need to play every three days, I told the players I wanted us to be focused and together in this initial phase. It's necessary for me to get to know the group and for them to get to know me, to define a strategy. It's different from Filipe's, where everyone knew the strategy and the training. The players have embraced it and we're focusing mainly on this series of games every three days.
“In four days, I had great collaboration from all the Flamengo staff and from the players, who were totally engaged. We certainly brought a lot of what Filipe had done. In this game, I tried to ensure we could better neutralise Fluminense, especially compared recent games where they managed many shots. We were consistent defensively. In the offensive phase, we still had difficulties. I'm happy with the team. They played like Flamengo, with attitude and commitment.”
The Flamengo board, led by under-pressure Portuguese sporting director José Boto, are understandably keen to move on. Having confirmed that medals from Sunday’s triumph will be dispatched to Filipe Luís and his staff, the club are focused on resuming league duties in the defence of their Campeonato Brasileiro title, with the new campaign underway earlier than usual ahead of the World Cup.
As fate would have it, Jardim’s first league match in charge sees him take on his former club Cruzeiro, whom he left in December having routinely complained about the Brazilian schedule and ruling out future jobs in the country. Cruzeiro’s 3rd place finish in 2025 was considered a success given they ended the previous term in 9th, but Jardim’s former club can expect no favours on Thursday at the Maracanã.
“It will be a normal preparation, tomorrow we have to recover our players and then, in strategic terms, prepare a competitive team that can control the game at home.
“On the other side, there's an excellent Cruzeiro team; last year they achieved good results against Flamengo, and I hope to change that.”
