The world of football witnessed another curious episode last Thursday (22).
Coach Lúcio Flávio, who had arrived at Goiatuba with hopes of reviving the team in the 2026 Campeonato Goiano, requested to leave the club after leading the squad for just one round (four days of work).
The 46-year-old coach released a video announcing his departure and stating that he had accepted a new job offer — he was announced at Uberlândia, in Minas Gerais.
A former midfielder who emerged at Paraná in the late 1990s, Lúcio Flávio played for major clubs in Brazilian football, such as Internacional, São Paulo, Coritiba, Atlético-MG, Vitória, and Santos.
However, the club with which he is most closely identified is Botafogo, where he played between 2007 and 2008 and then again from 2009 to 2010.
Retired from the pitch since 2017, Lúcio Flávio began his coaching career as an assistant at Paraná the following year.
He later served as assistant and interim coach at Botafogo between 2020 and 2023. The young coach also had stints at Aparecidense, São Joseense, and Brasiliense before arriving at Goiatuba at the start of the Goianão.
At Goiatuba, the team’s situation in the 2026 Campeonato Goiano was already difficult before Lúcio Flávio’s arrival.
The “Azulão do Sul” started the state championship with another coach, Augusto Fassina, who was dismissed after three winless matches.
Lúcio Flávio led the team in just one match, and with only one point on the table, the club remains at the bottom of the competition. The team still has four games ahead to try to escape relegation and dream of a spot among the top eight in the state championship.
Meanwhile, Uberlândia is also going through a tough time. Before the coach’s arrival, the “Verdão” had two losses and two draws in four matches, sitting at the bottom of Group A in the Campeonato Mineiro.
In four games, the team has yet to win, suffered a 5-0 thrashing by Cruzeiro, and faces challenges ahead as they try to climb out of last place in their group in the state championship.
📸 Wagner Meier – 2023 Getty Images
