There will be no spotlight just on the various stars who will be on the field at Maracanã today, at 4pm, for the first leg of the Copa do Brasil final. Flamengo and Atlético-MG coaches will also be closely watched. In addition to their successful past as football players, with several important titles under their belt, Filipe Luís and Gabriel Milito share the search for the first major trophy in their career as coaches of a professional team.
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It is true that the Galo commander already has the 2024 Mineiro title in his repertoire. Although he did not participate in the campaign until the semifinals, the Argentine debuted for the club precisely in the decision, against Cruzeiro. However, if Atlético wins the Copa do Brasil, this will, without a doubt, be their first major trophy, nine years after the start of their new career.
On the other hand, as an athlete, Milito boasts a glorious past. There are 12 titles, with the Champions League and the Club World Cup with Barcelona being the main ones. The former Argentine defender was also Spanish champion three times and even played in the 2006 World Cup.
Wearing the Zaragoza shirt, Milito faces Ronaldo — Photo: AFP PHOTO/Javier SORIANO
Filipe Luís, who was a left-back from the top shelf of world football, won even more trophies: 22. An idol of Atlético de Madrid, he won the Europa League and the Spanish Championship there. Also important at Chelsea, he won the continental tournament again and also won the English. But it was at Flamengo where he had the most success. There were ten titles, with emphasis on two Libertadores, two Brazilians and one Copa do Brasil — the national knockout tournament, which begins to be decided today, represented precisely the last trophy of the current red-black coach as an athlete. For the Brazilian team, Filipe also won the Confederations Cup and the Copa América.
Filipe Luís with the Atlético de Madrid shirt — Photo: JAVIER SORIANO / AFP
A month ago as Fla’s head coach, Filipe Luís debuted in the first leg of the semifinal, against Corinthians. And the return duel, at the Neo Química Arena, was one of its most important moments so far. After the expulsion of striker Bruno Henrique, he managed to put a “tactical knot” on the rival coach, Ramón Díaz, and guarantee classification. At the base, he had already been champion of the Copa Rio under-17 and the Club World Cup under-20.
Despite his short experience in his new role, Filipe Luís has been pleased. Players and members of the board repeat the statement that he managed, in fact, to qualify for the position while still playing. And it has a vast menu of ideas and tactical solutions.
More than that, Filipe Luís also pays good attention to the players’ soul. If the team was down in this regard in recent weeks under Tite’s command, the arrival of his former colleague gave new life to the squad. In the locker room, the former full-back’s speeches tend to reflect an almost obsession with victory. With each match, he reinforces the importance of the team getting used to “always winning”. For this, the requirement of intensity over the 90 minutes is also frequent.
— Most of the group already knew that he would be a coach due to his different interpretation of the game since his playing days. Here, everyone wants to win. Filipe Luís was successful in everything as an athlete and now wants to be a coach. And that’s good, because it will motivate us, encourage us to always want to win. It’s not easy every year to compete and win titles, always staying up there. I hope he can do a wonderful job and that we can help him – values striker Michael.
Filipe Luís talks to players before starting activity — Photo: Gilvan de Souza/ Flamengo
Behind the scenes, people who work with the red-and-black coach highlight his “very studious and methodical” profile. With an intense way of experiencing football, Filipe follows the ideal of “living one day after another”. An example of this is that, even though he is far from the leadership of the Brasileiro and with a real chance of winning the Copa do Brasil, he only began to plan more deeply the strategy he would use against Galo after the duel with Internacional, last Wednesday.
‘Heart in the boot’
Another similarity between Milito and Filipe Luís is the intensity they bring to their daily lives. Reports from Atlético-MG players, who often praise the commander, show that he practically “demands” that the athletes get angry when they lose the ball. A defender by origin, the current coach knows the importance of having possession not only to build offensive plays, but also to defend.
Milito in Atlético-MG training — Photo: Pedro Souza / Atlético
— Gabriel is very intense. A very firm, determined guy who knows what he wants. Since arriving, he has set titles as his objective. He was a great winner as a player and he knows what we really need to reach glory — says striker Paulinho in an interview with ge. — This energy was what we needed most to reach the three competitions and put our hearts into our boots and pursue our goals, our dreams. He’s a guy who’s helping us a lot, not only theoretically and tactically, but also mentally.
