Monaco hires Filipe Luís to give Folarin Balogun a new club coach

MONACO — Brazilian coach Filipe Luís was hired by Monaco on Monday, giving United States’ World Cup striker Folarin Balogun a new club manager.

Filipe Luís replaces Sebastien Pocognoli, who was fired by Monaco last month following a disappointing end to the season with the team finishing the French league in seventh place.

Monaco said that the 40-year-old Brazilian has signed a deal until June 2028. He left Flamengo in March.

One of Filipe Luís' big early tasks will be to keep Monaco's star players — Balogun and highly rated France attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche — at the club.

Although Monaco came close to an upset when it lost 5-4 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League playoff, the team faded in Ligue 1 and missed out on qualifying again for Europe's top competition. Instead, it will play in the Conference League playoffs next month.

Pocognoli had joined in October as a replacement for Adi Hütter. He lost 13 of 38 games overall.

Filipe Luis was previously in charge of Flamengo, where he won several major trophies including the Copa Libertadores in 2025. Monaco said that across two seasons leading Flamengo, he recorded 62 wins, 21 draws, and 16 defeats.

As a player, the former left back was with Atletico Madrid, winning La Liga in 2014, the Copa del Rey in 2013, and two Europa League titles. He also played for Chelsea, winning the Premier League in 2015.