- The former midfielder and club stalwart took charge of the team once again in August and remains unbeaten after six matches.
- After eliminating Independiente Rivadavia, he guided the ‘Tricolor’ to a 2-0 victory over Platense in the first leg of their CONMEBOL Libertadores Quarter-final.
Fluminense played the 100th CONMEBOL Libertadores match in their history against Platense. Marcão, by contrast, was taking charge of just the second game of his managerial career in the competition. The gap between those two figures sums up a remarkable story: that of a man who knows every corner of the club, has been connected to its colours for almost three decades, yet is only now leading the ‘Tricolor’ on South America’s biggest club stage.
His debut at the Maracanã could hardly have gone better. Fluminense secured a 2-0 victory through goals from Nonato and Hulk, establishing an important advantage ahead of the return leg in Vicente López and extending the revival that began when Marcão replaced Luis Zubeldía in the dugout.
Platense tried to press high and compete for possession in the opening stages, but the Brazilian side ultimately settled the contest through their superior quality. Twenty minutes into the first half, Hulk found an opening and set up Nonato for the opener. Ten minutes later, the striker latched onto a pass from playmaker Paulo Henrique Ganso and added the second. Within half an hour, Marcão’s side had taken control of both the match and the tie.
The victory underlined the coach’s immediate impact. Since taking charge, Fluminense have recorded four wins and two draws, scoring 12 goals and conceding seven. They have beaten Palmeiras, Remo, Vasco and Platense, while drawing with Independiente Rivadavia and Athletico Paranaense. Marcão also led them past the Mendoza side in a penalty shootout and has now taken Fluminense to within touching distance of the CONMEBOL Libertadores Semi-finals.
A life in Fluminense’s three colours
Marcão needs no settling-in period and no time to familiarise himself with the corridors of Fluminense. Whenever the club goes through a change of coach, his name naturally emerges as a solution. He is not simply a permanent member of the coaching staff: he is a living part of the ‘Tricolor’s’ history.
Marco Aurélio de Oliveira’s relationship with the club began in 1999, during one of the most difficult periods in its history. He arrived as a player and was part of the squad that won the Série C, helping to launch Fluminense’s return to the top flight.
A hard-working, energetic and commanding midfielder, he became one of the key figures in that rebuilding process. He also won the Campeonato Carioca in 2002 and 2005 and even wore the captain’s armband. His record reflects the stature he achieved at the club: 397 appearances and 22 goals in a Fluminense shirt.
After retiring, he began his career on the touchline. He managed Bangu, River do Piauí and Bonsucesso, worked as an assistant coach at Sport Recife and later returned to Fluminense to join the club’s football structure. Since then, he has worked alongside several different coaches and remained one of the key sources of continuity within the project.
The specialist in difficult missions
His track record helps explain the trust placed in him. In 2019, he took charge during the closing stages of the Brasileirão, steered Fluminense away from the relegation zone and secured qualification for the CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
A year later, he replaced Odair Hellmann, who left the club to continue his career abroad. Marcão maintained the team’s momentum, guided them to fifth place in the league and secured a return to the CONMEBOL Libertadores after an eight-year absence. In 2021, following Roger Machado’s departure, he once again took charge through the end of the season and delivered another continental qualification.
The latest call came in August 2026. Fluminense were winless in eight matches and had just drawn 0-0 at home against Independiente Rivadavia in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie. The departure of Argentine coach Luis Zubeldía once again opened the door for the club stalwart.
The response was immediate. In his first match, Fluminense came from behind twice against Palmeiras before winning 3-2 through a Germán Cano goal in stoppage time. Three days later, Marcão made his CONMEBOL Libertadores coaching debut: his side drew 1-1 in Mendoza and advanced on penalties, with Fábio making two saves. A 2-1 comeback victory over Remo followed and ultimately convinced the board. President Mattheus Montenegro then announced that Fluminense would not look for another coach. Marcão was no longer a temporary solution: he had become the man entrusted with leading the team through the end of the season.
In Mendoza, he also offered a glimpse of his leadership style. Thiago Silva revealed that Marcão involved the squad’s senior players in the tactical preparation and accepted a change proposed by the captain: switching the positions of Kevin Serna and Yeferson Soteldo. The adjustment allowed Fluminense to exploit a gap in the opposition defence and ultimately led to Serna’s goal.
From emergency solution to renewed hope
Marcão has spent much of his coaching career answering calls in moments of urgency. This time, however, the story could be different. The victory over Platense was his fourth in six matches and allowed Fluminense to take a two-goal advantage to Vicente López. It also extended the best start of any of his spells in charge of the club.
The team he inherited in the middle of an eight-match winless run are now unbeaten in six. His impact has been immediate and transformative. Marcão knows all about rebuilding processes: he was part of one as a player in 1999, experienced others as a member of the coaching staff and has overseen several from the dugout. Nearly three decades after first pulling on the Fluminense shirt, the club’s perennial homegrown figure is now just 90 minutes away from reaching the CONMEBOL Libertadores Semi-finals.
