Former Chelsea and Atlético Madrid fullback Filipe Luís has been surprisingly sacked by Flamengo, swiftly becoming one of the most decorated managers on the open market at a time of dugout upheaval.
Luís’s dismissal arrived mere hours after overseeing an 8–0 win over Madureira which booked Flamengo’s place in the Campeonato Carioca final. The retired left back had already lifted seven trophies during his 101-game stint in Fla’s dugout, including the most recent top-flight title in Brazil and the 2025 Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions League.
Flamengo’s loss could be a gain for several other clubs. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are both notably looking for new permanent managers while Real Madrid have offered few assurances to Álvaro Arbeloa’s long-term future. Ahead of a summer complicated further by the upheaval of the World Cup, there aren’t many candidates who can better Luís’s record.
Filipe Luís’s Staggering Managerial Record
Up until this surprise sticking point, Luís’s managerial career has been pretty glittering. After spending nine months cutting his teeth in Flamengo’s youth system, the former student of Diego Simeone and José Mourinho was thrust into his first senior management role a month after turning 39.
Flamengo promptly won the Copa do Brasil a matter of weeks later. Taking over from former Brazil national team boss Tite, Luís enjoyed an unprecedented run of success. Across his first 30 games at the helm, the rookie coach had collected three trophies and one defeat.
Luís instilled a blend of possession soccer with its similarities to Roberto De Zerbi, baiting the opposition press with short passes in their own defensive third being picking their way forward.
Fla dominated Brazil and won continental glory in November but their success was not limited to South America. Luís got one over his former employers Chelsea with a 3–1 win in last summer’s Club World Cup group stage. “They are a very good team, they play nice football, it’s nice to watch them,” then-Blues boss Enzo Maresca gushed.
“The reason they are unbeaten in Brazil for many games and are doing very well is, when you watch them, you see they are a very good team with good organization. Like any Brazilian team, they are full of quality and technical players.”
That Chelsea-tinged affection was not only limited to the Stamford Bridge dugout. The club’s hierarchy interviewed Luís after parting company with Maresca in January, per The Telegraph. The same report suggests that one of the factors behind the decision to appoint Liam Rosenior over Luís was the swollen buyout clause Flamengo were demanding for their head coach. That, of course, is no longer the case.
Reasons for Luís’s Sacking a Potential Cause for Concern
So, why would a club get rid of a coach who has averaged one trophy every 14 games and is the reigning champion domestically and continentally?
Flamengo clearly didn’t have any intention of getting rid of Luís as recently as December, when they handed their coach a new lucrative two-year contract. He barely lasted two more months. Results appear to be at the center of the club’s displeasure.
Luís started the new domestic season with just four points from three games and has already lost two (minor) finals in 2026. Flamengo were beaten by Corinthians in the Brazilian Supercopa—the Community Shield equivalent—and also lost across two legs in the Recopa Sudamericana, South America’s UEFA Super Cup.
The timing of this notable dip—immediately after he had been healthily remunerated—was a point of contention for the club, as was the “discontent” from some members of the roster, according to O Globo. Clearly these concerns were taken seriously as sacking Luís has not been cheap. So soon after his contract renewal, Fla are expected to pay the 40-year-old around $3.5 million.
Man Utd, Tottenham’s Managerial Hunt
Manchester United and Tottenham, last season’s Europa League finalists lest we forget, are both currently being overseen by managers who will be out of contract by the end of the season. While Michael Carrick is doing everything in his power to earn consideration for the permanent role, Igor Tudor may be lucky to make it to May.
The rapidly beleaguered Croatian coach bounded into the Spurs dugout confident that hard work and some discipline would straighten out the luxury relegation candidates. Two games in, his tone has demonstrably changed.
“We are lack when we attack, we are lacking of the quality to score the goal, we are lacking in the middle to run and we are lacking behind to stay there to suffer and not concede the goal,” Tudor lamented. “So, an amazing situation. Amazing.”
Should Spurs manage to avoid relegation, it could be an “amazing” opportunity for Luís.
