Despite making aggressive moves in the transfer market to secure victories in the Copa Libertadores and Campeonato Brasileiro, Flamengo is at risk of concluding another disappointing season. The club, boasting the most expensive squad in South America, valued at €212.10 million, has struggled to deliver significant titles this year.
Flamengo was recently eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores by Peñarol, a team with a squad valued six times less. In the Brasileirão, Flamengo finds itself nine points adrift of the leader, Botafogo, with only ten matches remaining, although they have one game in hand.
The team's underwhelming performance, despite having nine players representing national teams from Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Chile, led to the dismissal of coach Tite. Filipe Luís, a former left-back, has been appointed as the new head coach. This change comes after Tite's tenure, which yielded only the Campeonato Carioca, falling short of expectations for the prestigious Libertadores and Brasileirão titles.
Since the departure of Jorge Jesus in 2020, Flamengo has cycled through eight coaches, achieving six titles during this period. The recent managerial changes have raised concerns about the club’s direction and the responsibilities of both players and management, who face criticism for lacking a coherent sports project.
As Flamengo prepares for critical matches in the Brasileirão and the Copa do Brasil, where they face Corinthians in the semi-finals, Filipe Luís has vowed to implement an offensive style of play. He expressed his commitment to taking risks to meet the expectations of the club's passionate fanbase.