Fluminense fires Luis Zubeldia after eleven months, replaces him in the middle of the Libertadores

Eleven months were enough for Fluminense to decide that Luis Zubeldia's cycle had run its course. The Rio de Janeiro club confirmed the Argentine coach's departure this Thursday, just two days after a scoreless draw against Independiente Rivadavia that left more doubts than answers ahead of the second leg of the round of 16 in the CONMEBOL Libertadores.

The Tricolor's official statement was blunt: "Fluminense FC announces that Luis Zubeldia is no longer in charge of the team's coaching staff." He wasn't the only one to leave. His assistants Maxi Cuberas, Carlos Gruezo and Alejandro Escobar also departed, along with fitness coach Lucas Vivas. The entire staff that had arrived with him is leaving alongside him.

The club added a few parting words, as is customary in these situations: "The club thanks these professionals for all their dedication throughout their work and wishes them success in their careers."

A present that didn't add up

Is a draw at the Maracana enough to trigger a decision like this? Probably not on its own, but rather the sum of a stretch of the season that had been steadily fading. Fluminense sits fourth in the Brasileirao, 13 points behind leader Palmeiras, a gap that starts to weigh heavier with fewer matchdays remaining. On top of that came elimination from the Copa do Brasil in the round of 16, after falling 3-1 to Vasco da Gama the previous week, and a lost Campeonato Carioca final against archrival Flamengo, following a scoreless draw and a defeat on penalties.

With that combination of results weighing on the club, the draw against Independiente Rivadavia tipped the scales. Now the second leg, set for next Tuesday at the Juan Bautista Gargantini stadium in Mendoza, will have to be played by a Fluminense side without a confirmed coach, hardly the ideal scenario ahead of a knockout clash.

Zubeldia's tenure at the helm of the 2023 South American champions ended with a record of 56 matches, featuring 25 wins, 18 draws and 13 losses. Numbers that, on paper, don't look catastrophic, but weren't enough to keep him in the job at a club that was continental champion just two years ago and is now going through a rough patch that has set off alarm bells internally.

Fluminense will need to quickly sort out who takes charge of the bench, with the Libertadores tie still open and a schedule that leaves little room to think it over calmly.