Freedom & stability: Filipe Luís making his mark at Monaco

Filipe Luís is only two games into his reign as manager of AS Monaco. The Brazilian is already getting his ideas across to his young squad.

'The more we play, the better we will be' - Luís

It has been a hectic start to the season for AS Monaco. Last Thursday, the club were in Poland, playing the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier. On Sunday, they were in Le Havre, preparing for their Ligue 1 McDonald's opener. And this Thursday, they will host Gornik Zabrze in the second leg of their UECL qualifier, with a one-goal lead to defend.

Luís isn't complaining, however. "I believe that, at this moment, the more games we play, the better we are going to be. We need to play to get better," the new Monaco manager said on Wednesday.

Luís joined Monaco over the summer, replacing Sébastien Pocognoli in the dugout at the Stade Louis II. The Brazilian joined the Principality club, despite interest from across Europe, namely from Bayer Leverkusen.

Winning debut for Filipe Luís as AS Monaco head coach ✔️ pic.twitter.com/sYP6pOdKJc
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) July 18, 2026

Already, despite just two competitive games under his belt, an image of what Luís' Monaco will look like is taking form. Luís' Flamengo side, with whom he won the Copa Libertadores and notably caused PSG problems in the FIFA Club World Cup, were astute defensively.

Fixing the defence was a priority for a side that shipped too many goals last season. Lukas Hradecky described the defensive structure last season as "wild" ahead of the game against HAC.

It is an issue that has clearly been worked on. It is only the start, but Luís is happy with what he saw. "We worked on [the defence] a lot. We have been working on how the team competes. It pleased me more (what I saw). I feel more represented," said the Monaco manager.

Fittingly, it was a defender, Eric Dier, who got the only goal of the game at the Stade Océane. Whilst the club's CEO, Thiago Scuro, alluded to an exit for the Englishman earlier in the summer, he is clearly a player that Luís is relying on. "You don't become a bad player overnight," said the Monaco manager when asked about Dier last week.

'Luís gives us confidence, a desire to play our own football' - Idumbo

And leaning on experienced figures is natural for Luís, who worked with an older squad during his time as manager in his native Brazil. Not that he is unfamiliar with working with youth, mind, he did manage Flamengo's academy, after all.

One youth player who struggled last season, Stanis Idumbo, is already feeling Luís' positive impact. The Belgium youth international has started both of Monaco's competitive games this season.

"The manager gives us a lot of freedom [...] he also gives us confidence, a desire to play our own football," says Idumbo, who likes the agency that he is being afforded this season. In the early days of the Luís tenure, his principles are already starting to shine through.

>> 'A new beginning': Filipe Luís era at Monaco begins in Poland