Flamengo, the most popular club in Brazil, announced on Monday the termination of coach Tite’s contract, who had been under scrutiny by both officials and fans for several days, with his situation becoming untenable last Thursday after the team’s elimination from the Copa Libertadores.

The Rio de Janeiro club shared in a brief message on its social media channels that the former Brazil national team coach "is no longer in charge of the squad," and that his role will be temporarily filled by former Atlético de Madrid player Filipe Luis, who is currently coaching Flamengo’s under-20 team.

The announcement came a day after the team struggled to secure a 1-0 win over Athletico Paranaense, leaving them in fourth place in the Brazilian Championship standings, but still 11 points behind leaders Botafogo.

What Did Courtois and Simeone Say During Their Discussion?

With their elimination from the Copa Libertadores after losing in the quarterfinals to Uruguay’s Peñarol, and the increasingly difficult race for the league title, Flamengo now only has the Copa do Brasil, in which they’ve reached the semifinals, to save their season.

Adenor Leonardo Bacchi "Tite," who coached Brazil’s national team from June 2016 to December 2022 and achieved significant success as Corinthians manager, took charge of Flamengo in October 2023, meaning he didn’t even complete a full year at the helm.

The high-profile signings in recent months, such as Uruguay’s Nico de la Cruz, Argentina’s Carlos Alcaraz, Ecuador’s Gonzalo Plata, and Brazil’s Alex Sandro, confirmed Flamengo as the most valuable squad in Brazil, but the investments failed to yield good results.

Due to the lack of convincing performances, Tite had been under pressure for several days, even facing insults painted on the club’s walls. During Sunday’s match at Maracanã, the boos directed at Tite overshadowed Gerson’s late winning goal.

The former Brazil coach led Flamengo in 70 matches, achieving 42 wins, 12 draws, and 16 losses.

Under Tite’s command, Brazil’s most popular club managed to win only one title: this year’s Rio de Janeiro regional championship.

Filipe Luis, the 39-year-old World Cup player who retired from the pitch in December 2023 after playing for Flamengo, will face his first challenge as the club’s interim coach on Wednesday, when Flamengo will take on Corinthians in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil semifinals.