Brazilian club Flamengo appointed Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim as their new head coach on Wednesday, following the surprise dismissal of Felipe Luiz at the start of the week.Jardim (51 years old) had announced his resignation from his post at Cruzeiro in December, having held the position for just ten months to 'preserve his physical and mental health'.The Rio de Janeiro club posted on social media: 'Welcome to Flamengo, Leonardo Jardim', noting that the Portuguese coach signed a contract until December 2027.The former Monaco coach, who won the French Ligue 1 in 2017, held his first training session on Wednesday, with his official presentation scheduled for Thursday.Jardim also coached in the Gulf region between 2021 and 2025, leading Al-Hilal to victory in the 2022 Saudi Pro League and the 2021 AFC Champions League, and Al-Ahly to the 2023 UAE league title; he had previously coached Al-Ain as well.Jardim replaces Felipe Luiz, whose dismissal was announced shortly after Flamengo's resounding 8-0 victory over the modest Madureira team.The 40-year-old coach posted a farewell message on Instagram: 'I am leaving in peace, my head held high and with a clear conscience. Football is cyclical, and our cycle was historical.'Flamengo, which currently has the largest budget in South America, did not start the season well: the team lost the Brazilian Super Cup to Corinthians (2-0), their first target of the season, and also lost the Recopa Sudamericana at the Maracanã to the Argentine team Lanus (3-2).
