Can Fernando Diniz Lead Fluminense To A First Copa Libertadores Triumph?

On Saturday, at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana Stadium, Fernando Diniz will manage the most important match of his life – the interim Brazil coach has long been questioned for his idiosyncratic style, but against Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores final he could prove his critics wrong by winning a first major final.

Diniz stands out in Brazilian soccer – and not just for his peculiar dual role as Fluminense manager and national team interim manager, in wait reportedly for Italy’s Carlo Ancelotti, but above all for his style that is as unusual as it is daring. In his column Tostão, a Brazil 1970 great, hailed Diniz as a great coach because of his organized anarchy.

His teams tend to attack, and attack some more, overloading the opponent’s midfield. Diniz is not shy to allow his side to play 3-1-6 in possession when required. That formation is a throwback to yesteryear and in no small measure a testimony of how the manager regards the game. It’s a style that is entertaining but has not always yielded great results. Diniz’s trophy cabinet is very limited with just a Carioca championship to his name, but that makes his commitment all the more remarkable.

For all its past triumphs and glories, Brazilian soccer remains a conservative managing environment shorn of novel ideas. That scenario is compounded by the suffocating calendar that requires clubs to crisscross a country the size of a continent and jiggle those commitments with continental competitions. The fans and media are often fickle and have little patience for a coach who doesn’t deliver results. They simply don’t tolerate defeat.

Such a climate often leads to coaches prioritizing results rather than developing a distinct style. In 2019, Portugal’s Jorge Jesus came along and swept past all the opposition with an attacking game that had Brazilian coaches somewhat embarrassed with their more conservative approaches.

Diniz is one of the few Brazilian coaches with different ideas. In attack, his team has sui generis style. The ball becomes the main reference point and with short passes, the team tries to wave its way through. It’s not unusual to see seven or eight players close to the ball on one side of the pitch. In that sense, Diniz is far more radical than Jesus and most other coaches. “It’s something that a lot of people even in Europe have been studying because it’s a much more radical approach than models and systems based on mobility,” explains Brazilian journalist Carlos Mansur. “He is a coach, unlike almost anyone you see in the world.”

But will that be good enough to overcome a staunch Boca Juniors side, who will seek to win the game in the midfield where Fluminense could be light.

André covers for the 34-year-old Paulo Henrique Ganso, who with his gossamer passing pulls the strings for Fluminense. A victory would represent redemption for him after his career never quite reached the heights of his early promising days at Santos.

For Diniz, it could represent a crowning moment and reward for sticking with his own unorthodox game model. Fluminense has never won the Copa Libertadores. In 2008, the Rio club lost the final against LDU Quito of Ecuador, but on Saturday it has the chance to win the prize it covets most. Diniz and his freewheeling team then are 90 minutes away from entering the pantheon of the gods.