- Flamengo will approach the CONMEBOL Libertadores with a new head coach.
- The defending champions will aim for their fifth continental crown.
Flamengo will look to defend their CONMEBOL Libertadores title with a new identity. The Rio de Janeiro side has turned to Leonardo Jardim to replace Filipe Luís, who led the team to the 2025 title, with the objective of winning the competition for a fifth time and becoming the first back-to-back champions since Palmeiras achieved the feat between 2020 and 2021.
The Portuguese coach made his debut just over ten days ago, but has already had enough time to showcase a promising defensive solidity for the ‘Rubro-Negro’ ambitions. In addition to keeping a clean sheet in the Campeonato Carioca final against Fluminense—eventually won on penalties—Mengão has also recorded convincing victories over Cruzeiro and Botafogo in the Brasileirão, by 2–0 and 3–0 respectively.
One of the most evident changes under Leonardo Jardim has been Flamengo’s attacking approach. While under Filipe Luís the focus was on maintaining possession to find openings, Jardim’s philosophy emphasizes greater speed and directness in attack, even if it means conceding more control of the ball to the opponent.
“I’m not a coach who admires sterile possession,” he said after the win over Botafogo. “I believe possession has a purpose: to create space or superiority over the opponent. When the opponent presses less, we have more possession. When they press more, they leave spaces that we will look to exploit.”
Beyond ball possession, Leonardo Jardim’s team also shows positional fluidity throughout matches. One example is Samuel Lino, who has played on both the right and the left—something that was less common under Filipe Luís.
“We’re trying to do what he asks: depth, playing through the middle. When one player leaves his position, another has to fill it. In this match [against Botafogo], it worked,” said Samuel Lino, who scored the opening goal in the Rubro-Negro victory.
Jardim’s rotation
Beyond his attacking structure, Leonardo Jardim is also relying on heavy squad rotation throughout matches. The coach has already used 20 of the 27 players in Flamengo’s roster.
So far, only midfielder Nicolás de la Cruz, defender Danilo, and goalkeepers Andrew and Dyogo Alves have yet to feature under Jardim. The aim of this rotation is to ensure the team is fully prepared for the remainder of the season, which includes fixtures in the Brasileirão, CONMEBOL Libertadores, and Copa do Brasil.
Flamengo will learn its path in the CONMEBOL Libertadores this Thursday, March 19. The Group Stage draw is scheduled to begin at 20:00 (Paraguay time). As the defending champions, the ‘Rubro-Negro’ side will be placed in position 1 of Group A.
