RIO DE JANEIRO: Flamengo shocked Brazilian football by sacking coach Filipe Luis just hours after an 8-0 win in the Campeonato Carioca semifinals.
Filipe Luis had been at the helm of the Rio de Janeiro giants since September 2024 and led them to their fourth Copa Libertadores title last season after a 1-0 victory over Palmeiras in the final.
But on Tuesday Brazil’s richest club fired their coach, who was said to be taken aback as it came just hours after the 8-0 win over regional rivals Madureira gave Flamengo a crushing 11-0 aggregate victory in the state Carioca competition.
“As of Tuesday Filipe Luis will no longer be in charge of the team,” Flamengo said, also sacking his assistants.
The 40-year-old former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid defender also took Flamengo to the Brazilian Serie A and Carioca titles last year.
They reached the Club World Cup last 16 before suffering a 4-2 defeat by Bayern Munich, beating eventual champions Chelsea en route to winning their group.
But Flamengo have suffered some disappointing results this year, losing the Brazilian Super Cup final to Corinthians and the Recopa Sudamericana to Argentina’s Lanus after extra time in the second leg at the Maracana.
Filipe Luis had been promoted from his previous job as youth coach after retiring as a player at Flamengo in 2023.