Brazil is one of the most popular countries when it comes to football.
Any fan has either seen or heard of legends of the game like Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, or Neymar—all talents produced in South Americas largest country.
Although Brazil prides itself on consistently producing such prodigies, it’s not due to the domestic league.
Its fame is incomparable to the fame of those players, even though all of them played in the Brazilian national league.
Its poor structure and low visibility make the European leagues more attractive to such players, which is why they all leave at such a young age.
The national league is built for technically gifted players to thrive in.
The style of play is based on pure talent and skill rather than tactical awareness and knowledge.
Thus, why do many Brazilian players struggle in their first years in Europe, where the focus of football is the complete opposite?
Brazilian footballs different focus is arguably the reason why all the great Brazilian teams of the past haven’t been able to hold such a reputation today.
Such is the case of Flamengo.
Arguably the biggest team in Brazil, Flamengo is a sleeping giant.
Their last league title was over a decade ago, and they haven’t managed to win the so-desired Copa Libertadores (the Latin equivalent of the Champions League) since football legend Zico played for the club in 1981.
However, the club has been brought back to life by the football philosophy of one man – Jorge Jesus.
The Portuguese manager was appointed during the Copa America to give the ‘Rubro-Negros’ the silverware and success they so desired.
Despite his remarkable record in Portuguese football—three league titles with Benfica, two consecutive Europa League finals, and nine other cup competitions—the Brazilians were not convinced that he was the right man for the job.
Were they right?
This tactical analysis goes through what Jesus has accomplished in just 6 months of work.
The analysis shows how the Portuguese manager brought the missing tactics in Brazilian football from Europe: high-intensity pressing, discipline, tactical knowledge, and awareness.
It’s enough to say that his team reached the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores final undefeated in 25 matches (20 wins and 5 draws).
This past weekend Flamengo won both the Copa Libertadores and the Brazileirao, while also beating the record for most points earned in a single season in Brazil.
For that reason, Jorge Jesus was proclaimed “the saviour and was given the honorary citizenship award of Rio de Janeiro.
Line-ups
Jesus’s favourite formation is the classic 4-4-2 with high-mobility, intensive pressure high up the pitch, and good ball circulation.
These attributes allow Jesus to tweak its formation to a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 on some occasions, but they all derive from the basic 4-4-2.
The starting e
