Nine months after retiring from the field, Filipe Luís will face a new and major challenge off the field: coaching Flamengo's professional squad. On Tuesday afternoon (1), the Flamengo idol was officially introduced at Ninho do Urubu as the new coach of Mengão and gave a press conference. The former U-20 team commander spoke about the challenge of coaching the Mais Querido and other topics. Check out some excerpts:

First words
"I want to thank you for your kindness. My expectations are very high. I'd really like this connection with the fans to continue during the game. I've seen them win games for us. We need to get that back, so the stadium isn't divided." I hope the fans continue to cheer our team on. There's no shortage of work to be done.

Decision-making
"There are pros and cons to knowing the squad well and being friends. I know this group like no one else. I know the leadership and what goes on; I worked with this group for five years. Only three or four new players have arrived since I retired. I know I'll make decisions that will upset people. I know some players will be angry with me, but not with Filipe the person, but with the coach. It's important to separate that."

Mission to recover Gabigol
"I know Gabriel's ability, regardless of the length of his contract, whether it's two months, two years, or five. I will give my life for him and all the players, so they can improve individually and play together as a team. They must be cogs in the machine that makes the team work. I will do everything I can to restore his peak level and the high performance he has and has achieved before."

Short time and style of play
"It's really a short time, just two training sessions. But I'll make some necessary adjustments to this team and, little by little, implement my playing style. I want this to be a very pressing team, one that's troublesome for the opponent and capable of competing in all phases of the game, being a compact team. I hope to see that in this game, but we know we'll be playing against an opponent that's on the rise and is coming to cause trouble."

Inspiration from champion coaches trained in Gávea
"Not just them, but all the coaches who came before. The demands here are high; you have to win. As a coach, I want to make history. I don't want anyone to compare me to any other coach. I want everyone to think ahead. Now I want to see the new Flamengo, which is my Flamengo, the Flamengo of Filipe Luís."


Watch the full press conference on FlaTV: