After four months away from the field due to surgery on his left heel, midfielder Saúl returned to Flamengo last Sunday (19), during the victory over Bahia.
However, the scenario encountered by the athlete was different from that of his last performance: the departure of Filipe Luís and the arrival of Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim.
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper “AS”, the player did not hide his surprise at the change that occurred during his recovery period.
“Filipe Luís’ situation was very strange. He had just won everything: the Libertadores, the Brasileirão… in an exceptional way. We played on equal terms with the Champions League champions (PSG) at the Intercontinental. Everyone saw what we were capable of. And in two months, everything was over. In the end, coaches always depend on the results, but this was a little strange and, personally, with the affection I have for Filipe Luís, it was a shame that he couldn’t help us. These are difficult months, I know he is going through a difficult time and that bothers me a lot”, said the Spaniard.
The relationship between Saúl and transcends the field; Both were teammates at Atlético de Madrid-ESP, and the former coach was a key player in signing the midfielder for Rubro-Negro in July 2025.
Together, they celebrated the Copa Libertadores and Série A titles of the Brazilian Championship in . He should be listed for the duel against Vitória, this Wednesday (22), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the Copa do Brasil.
