Veteran defender reflects on storied career and reveals what sets the Fluminense and Brazil coach apart

Now 40 years old, Felipe Melo has played under a wealth of elite coaches in a professional career that has spanned more than two decades. There was his spell at Cruzeiro, when Vanderlei Luxemburgo, then at the peak of his powers, led them to a domestic treble. During his time in Spain, he worked with an emerging Unai Emery at Almeria. Then, in Italy, came tactical masterclasses with Cesare Prandelli. Now, he is savouring the opportunity to work with Fernando Diniz at Fluminense.

Perhaps even more impressive than that prestigious list is the ability of the Flu defender to go into detail about all the teams he has played for in his storied career. You could be forgiven for thinking, in fact, that he would talk about it for hours on end if given the chance.

Which is what makes the following observation about the new Brazil coach, made in an interview with FIFA, all the more significant: “Diniz is a footballing genius, a guy who can see what us mere mortals can’t.”