Palmeiras was emotionally shaken by the defeat to rival Corinthians last week. The shock was reflected in the players on the field during the victory over Grêmio, on Friday (8), but they used a motto from Abel Ferreira to get around the problem.
The expectation was to beat Timão, even away from home. The squad only tried to feel what happened in the following 24 hours and then focused on providing an immediate response in the next match.
Since Abel Ferreira arrived at Palmeiras, the coaching staff and their team members have had a day to “enjoy” any situation, be it victory, defeat or title.
The team’s anxiety was also reflected in the stands at Allianz Parque, and fans protested with the match against Grêmio still in progress. Defender Murilo spoke about this entire context.
“We have the motto of 24 hours. The game passed, we knew we had to turn things around. Now we know that we have to turn things around after the FIFA Data. We know how important the fans are and we went to celebrate with them”, he said.
And does Palmeiras still have a chance to be champion?
Abel Ferreira believes in Palmeiras’ third consecutive championship, but recognizes that Botafogo is better at the moment. Verdão has three points less than its opponent, who enters the field this Saturday and could increase the difference again.
“Do you know how many points we had last year and have this year? We have two more points. It doesn’t hurt to recognize that we are at our standard and even better. We have to congratulate those who perform outside the curve. Botafogo is very well built, with an excellent coach, and has been performing spectacularly. They have everything to be champions. I hate losing, but I recognize when there are opponents with the performance they have”, he analyzed.
Murilo continues with a “down to earth” speech about the Brazilian Championship Series A title. He stressed that Palmeiras will continue to treat all games as finals and, regarding the protests, he reinforced the squad’s commitment
“I was focused on the match, I didn’t hear boos. The entire team is to be congratulated for their commitment and dedication. Let’s see all games as finals. We work hard, we know our professionalism, we dedicate ourselves a lot. I was very focused on the game, I didn’t hear anything. We were just committed on the field and that was it: an aggressive, intelligent team that hammered from start to finish”, he stated.
Coach Abel Ferreira’s men will return to the field on November 20th, after the FIFA Data, against Bahia, for the 34th round of the Brasileirão.
