Mauro Pimentel / AFP via Getty Images
March 3, 2026 3:41 am EST
Brazilian club Flamengo have sacked head coach Filipe Luis, less than three months after its Copa Libertadores success.
The former left-back, who played 44 times for Brazil’s national team, was appointed Flamengo coach in September 2024 and won the national league title and continental Copa Libertadores — South America’s equivalent of the Champions League — in his one full season in charge.
Flamengo also won the 2025 Supercopa do Brasil and reached the last-16 phase of last summer’s expanded Club World Cup, losing 4-2 to Bayern Munich, having topped their group after defeating eventual winners Chelsea.
Those results and successes had seen Filipe Luis’ stock rise, with the 40-year-old signing a contract extension in December through to December 2027, but he has now been sacked 10 weeks after signing that deal.
Flamengo started this season with a 2-0 Copa do Brasil loss to Corinthians, were defeated in both legs of the Recopa Sudamericana (the competition between the winners of the Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana) by Lanus.
On Monday, Flamengo booked its place in the Campeonato Carioca final against Rio de Janeiro rivals Fluminense, courtesy of an 11-0 aggregate victory over fourth-tier side Madureira. Hours later, the club confirmed the coach had departed the club alongside his assistant Ivan Palanco and physical trainer Diogo Linhares.
Filipe Luis had overseen three defeats in the side’s six games group for the tournament, including to lower-league Bangu and Volta Redonda, and a defeat to Fluminense.
Flamengo have picked up four points from their first three matches in Brazil’s Serie A this term.
Filipe Luis spent 15 years of his playing career in Europe and is most remembered for two spells at Atletico Madrid, with whom he reached two Champions League finals, won the 2014 La Liga title and twice won the Europa League.
The left-back also spent the 2014-15 campaign at Chelsea, winning the Premier League and EFL Cup.
Mar 3, 2026
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