The good luck of Jorge Jesús at Flamengo has touched a nerve in Brazil, a foreign coach with the symbol and extravagance of an old rock star who not only conquered the South American continent, but brought a new philosophy that disappointed some of the conservative dogmas of Other Rio Clubs took note and the 2020 season After the Covid-19 stop, they were in a position to take a chance, Botafogo hired Ramón Díaz, Ricardo Sa trained Vasco Da Gama and Domenec Torrent succeeded Jesus in Flamengo.
Torrent’s concepts were also innovative. At first, against Atlético Mineiro, the Spanish coach to “reverse the pyramid”. The sides Rafinha and Filipe Luis joined the midfield to the whole of Willian Aro as Flamenpass in 2-3-5 form, a formation of the early twentieth century and A trait among the followers of Pep Guardiola. It was a radical concept to put five defenders with five strikers. No Brazilian coach would go down that path to check to stretch the opposing defense. But it wasn’t enough for Flamenpass to avoid a 0-1 season start loss.
In Torrent, the Rio club sought a successor with the same profile as Jesus; a coach with a modern and progressive concept of how to play football. The Spaniard has never been the club’s first choice, with former Watford coach Marco Silva and former Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim among the top illustrious candidates. Of course, Torrent – nicknamed Dome – also had solid credentials: as an assistant, he spent a decade with the top priest of the formation guild, Pep Guardiola. His undeniable agreement with Guardiola was a primary asset in the recruitment process.
But the concept that each and every Guardiola trainer will excel by default is dangerously imperfect. In Arsenal and Anderlecht, Mikel Arteta and Vincent Kompany have struggled to shape their groups as the symbol of a typical Guardiola outfit.
AtRio, Torrent discovered incredibly complicated things at his new club. His situation was multiple: it was thought that each victory was still a component of Jesus’ legacy, while Torrent was singularly guilty of defeats. Jesus delivered a drama of ordinary chromatic intensity, his excellent conquests have temporarily become an incomparable paradigm.
Fans and the media demanded victories, they were in a hurry to get more cutlery, so it was no surprise that Torrent was fired mid-season after humiliating defeats at the hands of Sao Paulo and Atlético Mineiro. She was on her honeymoon after her departure from the Brazilian Cup. But Flamengo, the country’s media and massive fan base had noticed the torrent quite a bit: “Foraaaa,” they all shouted with ugly revenge.
Torrent’s jolgorio lasted less than a hundred days, winning 15 times and losing six times in 26 games. At the time of his dismissal, Flamengo was third in the national standings and remained in contention in both the Brazilian Cup and the Copa Libertadores.
Flamengo’s fortune was not a disaster, but Torrent’s dismissal summed up the tragedy of Brazilian football. A coach will have to win each and every match; two or three defeats in a row are enough for the stock market. Brazilian football and its many players have the divine right to fire any coach at any time they deem appropriate. They don’t need Alex Ferguson or Arséne Wenger at their club. They only need 3 points, here and now.
Torrent had its apparent flaws, but ignoring it was predictable in the short term. This is the wonderful contradiction of the age of Jesus: when Flamengo ruled South American football with a wonderful football aplomb, the concept was reinforced that each and every match will have that What deserves to have been a prime turning point for Brazilian football has been interpreted through many to verify the old dogmas.
From the north and from Fortaleza came Rogerio Ceni, a former goalkeeper with a wonderful kicking ability, who brought some stability to the current Brazilian champion, but did not in himself make the team’s game with recurring weaknesses in his back and a brutal attack. But will it matter in the end? Whatever Ceni’s victory, whatever football is played through Flamengo, it won’t be enough. Diaz and Sa went to the rest of Rio’s clubs. In fact, Botafogo, at the breaking point of relegation, has a loss of coaches like never before, even through Brazilian standards.
It is the eternal drama that surrounds Brazilian football: nothing will ever be learned from the past.
I’m an independent football journalist in Belgium. I have traveled to more than 20 countries to report on the match. This summer I went to Azerbaijan for Europe.
I am an independent football journalist founded in Belgium, I have traveled to more than 20 countries to report on the match, this summer I went to Azerbaijan for the Europa League final, went to Spain for the Champions League final, covered the FIFA Congress and the first days of the Women’s World Cup in France and spent too much time on bed buses in Brazil the America’s Cup. I contribute to INSIDE World Football, World Soccer, Josimar, The Blizzard and BBC Radio’s Focus On Africa, among others. I’m also publishing an e-book about my passion, the Brazilian team of the 1970s. Graduated from Leuven Law School and Columbia University’s J-School.