In September 2019, Freitas moved to Cruzeiro’s rivals Atlético Mineiro as an assistant manager and coordinator of a “transition team”. The following 27 February, he was named interim manager of the first team, after the dismissal of Rafael Dudamel.

On 21 December 2016, Freitas was announced as Mano Menezes’ assistant at Cruzeiro. The following November, he moved to Palmeiras under the same role, but returned to Cruzeiro on 15 February 2019.

Freitas then returned to Grêmio in 2013, being manager of the under-20s; in May 2015, he was named interim manager of the first team, as Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked. He was in charge for two matches before the appointment of Roger Machado, and was later promoted to the role of permanent assistant manager of the first team. In 2016, as Roger was dismissed, he was again interim for a further three matches.

In August 2011, Freitas moved abroad for the first time in his career, joining Paraguayan side Club Guaraní as Beto Almeida’s assistant; in late November, as Almeida was sacked, he took over the side in an interim manner. He then returned to Juventude the following February, being again named in charge of the under-20s while also taking over the B-team.

For the 2010 season, Freitas returned to Internacional, being named in charge of the under-20 team. In April of the following year, he was appointed Lisca’s assistant at Luverdense.

After being an assistant of Internacional’s under-17 squad, Freitas took over the under-20 sides of Brasil de Farroupilha, São José de Cachoeira and Santa Cruz-RS before returning to Grêmio in 2005, as manager of the under-17s. He left the club in 2008 for Juventude, being in charge of the under-17s and under-20s while also acting as an interim first team manager for one Série B match.

Freitas was born in São Lourenço do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, and started his career in lower clubs in his state, as a fitness coach. His first managerial experience came up in 2000, as he took over Grêmio’s women squad.

James Francisco Freitas Iahnke (born 16 August 1968), known as James Freitas, is a Brazilian football manager.