Brazil’s Flamengo hires Leonardo Jardim as coach to replace Filipe Luís

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Defending Brazilian and South American champion Flamengo hired Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim on Wednesday after shocking fans by firing Filipe Luís the day before.

The 51-year-old former Monaco coach signed a deal until the end of 2027, the Rio de Janeiro club said.

Luís was fired hours after Flamengo beat tiny Madureira 8-0 in a Rio state league semifinal. This year his team lost the trophies of the Brazilian Supercup to local rival Corinthians and the South American Recopa to Argentina's Lanus, triggering the supporters' anger.

Many fans, pundits and former Flamengo players expressed support for Luís after his firing and expressed disbelief with the decision of club chairman Luiz Eduardo Baptista.

Only two months ago, Luís extended his contract at Flamengo through 2027. He had 101 matches as Flamengo's coach with 63 victories, 23 draws and 15 defeats. Five of those losses took place this year.

Jardim coached Cruzeiro last year and took the team from Minas Gerais state to a third-place finish in the Brazilian league. He left the club after the end of his contract in December, pledging never to coach another Brazilian team.

Flamengo's executives hope for another strong season for the club, which recently signed midfielder Lucas Paquetá for a reported fee of 35 million euros ($40.5 million).