Fluminense announced this Thursday the dismissal of coach Luis Zubeldía. The decision by the Tricolor’s board came after a 0-0 draw against Independiente Rivadavia at Maracanã, in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16—result which led fans to leave the stadium protesting against the team. Friction had already been building, intensified by the early elimination from the Copa do Brasil against archrival Vasco da Gama, also in the round of 16.

Along with the 45-year-old coach, assistants Maxi Cuberas, Carlos Gruezo, and Alejandro Escobar, as well as fitness coach Lucas Vivas, are also leaving the club. In an official statement published on its communications channels, Fluminense thanked the professionals for their dedication throughout their tenure and wished them success in the next steps of their careers.

To fill the coaching staff’s temporary vacancy, permanent assistant Marcão will take over the team on an interim basis. He will be on the bench for Fluminense’s next match in the Campeonato Brasileiro. The Tricolor face Palmeiras this Saturday (15), at 4:30 p.m., at Maracanã, in the opening of the 23rd round.

Zubeldia at Flu: good numbers, but traumatic eliminations

The dismissal was motivated by a period of severe instability for the team in the second half of the season. The Tricolor reached an unwelcome streak of eight consecutive games without a win, with seven draws and one defeat in that period. The breaking point was the loss to Vasco in the Copa do Brasil round of 16, 3-1 at Maracanã, and the drought only extended with another slip-up at home in the continental tournament, amid loud boos from the fans.

Announced by the Laranjeiras club in September 2025 to replace Renato Gaúcho, Zubeldía generally had a spell of good stats, but traumatic eliminations in the Copa do Brasil to Vasco (both in 2025 and 2026). In total, he led Fluminense in 61 matches, with 30 wins, 18 draws, and 13 losses, 79 goals scored and 59 conceded.

According to Sofascore statistics, the coach at one point reached a 73.5% success rate in national tournaments at the peak of his time with the team. However, the sharp decline in offensive output after the FIFA break weighed on the board’s evaluation.

In the Campeonato Brasileiro, Fluminense sits in 4th place, with 35 points, but the recent lack of tactical evolution rendered the continuation of the project inviable.

Zubeldia on the radar of the Ecuadorian National Team

With his future in Brazilian football uncertain, the Argentine coach may quickly turn his focus to the international scene.

Luis Zubeldía is a candidate to take over as head coach of the Ecuadorian National Team, a vacancy open since his compatriot Sebastián Beccacece left following Ecuador’s elimination by Mexico in the 2026 World Cup.

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Now a free agent, Zubeldía is regarded with great interest by the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF), thanks to his successful spell in the country’s football. He managed LDU Quito on two occasions and, in his second stint, won the Copa Sudamericana and the Ecuadorian Championship, both in 2023.

It’s not the first time the federation has shown interest: the Argentine coach already declined a similar invitation in 2024, when he was still in charge of São Paulo.