Less than 24 hours after being eliminated by Corinthians in the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil, Cruzeiro announced the departure of Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim this Monday morning (15). The 51-year-old coach took over as coach of Raposa in February. On Sunday night (14), Cruzeiro was defeated 5-4 on penalties, after 2-2 on aggregate. In addition to the tournament, he led the team to win a direct place in the Libertadores, with third place in the Brazilian Championship.
“Cruzeiro informs that coach Leonardo Jardim will not remain in technical command of the team in the 2026 season. Along with Jardim, assistants José Barros, Antonio Vieira and Diogo Dias leave the club,” said the Minas Gerais club in an official statement.
Cruzeiro informs that coach Leonardo Jardim will not remain in technical command of the team in the 2026 season.
Along with Jardim, assistants José Barros, Antonio Vieira and Diogo Dias leave the club.
We are grateful for all the dedication, commitment and professionalism during… pic.twitter.com/0XgPrhMx0F
— Cruzeiro 🦊 (@Cruzeiro) December 15, 2025
According to Cruzeiro, the coach will speak at a press conference at the Toca da Raposa II Training Center (CT), starting at 1 pm (Brasília time).
In October, Leonardo Jardim signaled discomfort after Cruzeiro drew 0-0 with Palmeiras, in São Paulo, in the 30th round of the Brasileirão. The match was marked by two controversial refereeing decisions against Cruzeiro defenders: a yellow card for Gustavo Gómez in the first half and a red card for Fabrício Bruno in the final stage.
“The joy I’ve had in Brazil, with the fantastic group and the fans, I’m frustrated. If it’s worth continuing, when in reality we’re not the ones controlling the games. I get extremely frustrated. The weight of dissatisfaction is almost equaling that of satisfaction”, said Jardim in an interview after the match.
