Presented this Thursday (5) by Flamengo, Leonardo Jardim did not shy away from addressing the statement that he would not manage another club in Brazilian football besides Cruzeiro.
He began his "defense" by explaining why he changed his mind:
"What made me change my mind [about accepting Flamengo's offer]… Words were felt, I felt good in Belo Horizonte, I believed in a medium and long-term project, not just one year.“
The sequence had the Portuguese coach recalling that he didn't stay at Raposa until 2026 because he needed a break from football:
"Life sometimes surprises us. I had some family and personal issues that I had to resolve. At the same time, there were some ideas within the structure that were different from what I believed. The Cruzeiro chapter ended earlier."
He concluded by admitting that he made an "unfortunate remark" by stating something that didn't materialize:
"I was emotional because I believed the project would be long-term, but I was also naive, which I usually am not, because I am pragmatic, but sometimes emotion leads us to some unfortunate remarks. As you know, I am now the coach of Flamengo, the Cruzeiro chapter has passed, and I want to focus on this new chapter."
See below Jardim's statement when he was at Raposa.
He will debut in charge of Flamengo next Sunday (8), against Fluminense.
A single match worth the Campeonato Carioca-2026 title at Maracanã.
Photo: Reproduction/Flamengo
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
