Kompany disciple, anti-Simeone: Club World Cup's top coach

Yahoo

12 hours ago

When FC Bayern faces Flamengo on Sunday evening in the Round of 16 of the Club World Cup, it's not just a clash between two big names in world football.
It's also the story of a coach who once played at the very highest level himself and now wants to challenge the giants from Munich with his team: Filipe Luís.
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The 38-year-old Brazilian has become the coach of perhaps the most famous club in South America, far from the European football spotlight, and is also a great admirer of the German record champions.
'They are a European colossus,' gushed Luís at the press conference in Miami about Bayern. 'A club that inspires us and gives us ideas to copy.' Those are, without a doubt, big words. But they come from the mouth of a highly talented tactician who has already celebrated remarkable successes with Flamengo.
From Fighter to Tactical Thinker
As a player, Filipe Luís was best known for his time at Atlético Madrid, where he developed into one of the best left-backs in Europe under Diego Simeone. But as a coach, Luís is forging his own path – and it's clearly different from that of his mentor!
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While Simeone stands for iron discipline, compactness, and defensive stability, Filipe Luís is much more a proponent of bold, possession-oriented football. Under his leadership, Flamengo is attack-minded, strong in combination play, and relies on dominance with the ball: with 60.6 percent possession, no team in the Brazilian Serie A has a higher share of the ball.
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He already attracted attention in youth football with titles and attractive performances. With the U17s, he won the Copa Rio, and with the U20s, even the Intercontinental Cup against Olympiakos Piraeus. By then, it was clear: this man is destined for greater things. And he would get his chance soon enough.
A Meteoric Rise on the Sidelines
Filipe Luís needed only nine games to write himself into Flamengo's history books. In the final of the Copa do Brasil, his team triumphed over Atlético Mineiro. In the league, after a shaky start to the season under his predecessor Tite, he still managed to lead the team to third place.
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Particularly impressive: Luís lost only one of his first 26 games as head coach – the derby against Fluminense. An average of 2.42 points per game is outstanding, even by Brazilian standards.
Unlike Simeone, who often wears down his opponents with disciplined defensive football, Luís relies on controlled build-up play, technical superiority, and targeted pressing phases. He wants to have the ball – and, above all, control the game.
This has earned him respect in his own country, but also attention from Europe. Should Atlético ever no longer be able to rely on Simeone's services, it is anything but unthinkable that Luís could one day succeed his former coach.
And Now: FC Bayern
Currently, the left-footer is presenting himself as a coach to a large international audience for the first time. In the new Club World Cup format, the first matches were against Chelsea, LAFC, and Esperánce Tunis – and now against FC Bayern.
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Luís knows the roles are clearly defined: 'They are the favorites.' Still, he makes it clear: 'Anything can happen in a single game.'
It's hardly surprising that he is an avowed fan of Vincent Kompany. Both stand for modern, bold football, shaped by a clear playing philosophy.
It's no coincidence that the Brazilian praised his coaching colleague for doing an 'excellent' job ahead of their direct encounter. Kompany is a role model for many up-and-coming coaching talents.
For all the praise: Filipe Luís has what it takes to soon be not just an admirer, but a real competitor on the European stage. But for now, it's showtime: Flamengo versus Bayern and a coaching duel that we're unlikely to see for the last time.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
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