Abel Ferreira and continuity at Palmeiras: “I already said I was fed up and that’s not a lie” – Brazil

The Palmeiras team, led by Abel Ferreira, is close to winning its second title after its victory (1-0) Fluminense. This victory maintained the three-point difference between Atletico Mineiro and Flamengo, who won over Sao Paulo (2-1) and Cuiaba (2-1), respectively. Only disaster will prevent Verdau from celebrating, so to speak. If Palmeiras wins or draws against Cruzeiro, he is the champion regardless of the other results. If they lose and Flamengo and At Mineiro win, everything will be decided by goal difference. Now, Palmeiras’ advantage is bad in this season: Palmeiras (31), Mineiro (23) and Flamengo (15). On the verge of another milestone – as he prepares to celebrate his ninth trophy – Abel Ferreira was asked at the end of the match about staying at the Brazilian club, but the Portuguese coach did not even dare to delve into the topic and kept the focus on the title game. “I won’t comment on speculation, you know how Brazilian football is. I’ve talked about it all year. There’s a lot of speculation, that’s normal. What matters is the most important match of the year. We want to decide,” the 44-year-old coach said. This title, because at the moment we cannot be champions and we really want to be,” he added, adding: “I did not specify anything, you know. You know what it is.’ What’s happening with me is that I have a contract, that’s speculation.” In fact, the insistence of the journalists present in the room forced Abel Ferreira to return to the topic. “In the first or second edition of the Libertadores, I said that I would stop and reflect, as I do every year. Other times I said that I was ‘fed up’ and that is not a lie. It is difficult to play matches and travel every three matches.” The days when there are Brazilian football entities insinuating that you are this or that… Do you think this is easy? It is three years, not three days. Every year I reach the end and have a ready report on what I asked for, “what happened last year and what I think will be the future of the club.” This “The report is ready to be submitted. It is very stressful to be a coach in Brazilian football, but I am not ungrateful.”

Palmeiras reaches this distinguished position after being 13 points behind Botafogo. When very few people believed in this recovery, Abel Ferreira revealed the conversation he had with the group. “I told them that if they left it, I would be the first one to leave it. If I felt like they left it.” [o campeonato]I’ll drop it. This was the first. The second is what I told you: We have a chance to leave here, me as the best coach and you as the best players. “These are the moments that can make us grow and come back better, and I think they understood what I meant.”