A controversial penalty suffered by rookie Vitor Roque helped Palmeiras beat Sao Paulo on Monday night (10) at Allianz Parque, 1-0, a result that defined the second classified for the Paulista 2025 Championship final.
In the final minutes of the first half, the capital bid generated a lot of complaints from the tricolor team players. After a mistake from Sao Paulo on the defense, the ball left for Vitor Roque, who crashed into Arboleda. For the visitors, the home team player was the one who sought the meeting.
Even with the complaints, referee Flavio Rodrigues Souza was not called by VAR to analyze the dispute in the video – Rapahel Veiga was the one who converted the charge, already in the additions, at 46 minutes.
Until then, there was a balance in the classic, with good chances on both sides. The scenario was similar in the second half, but with the advantage on the scoreboard Palmeiras had more peace of mind to play and hold the victory.
Classified to the decision, Abel Ferreira’s team will face Corinthians in the decision, the only phase that will be played in two games-first will be at Allianz Parque, on the 16th, and the second in the Neo Chemistry Arena, on the 27th, a Thursday, dates that the FPF (Paulista Football Federation) still needs to confirm.
Combat to racism
Before the confrontation, Palmeiras promoted a series of actions to combat racism. In a statement, the club stated that the initiative “aims to give birth to this serious problem that, unfortunately, is still very present in society and also in football matches”.
The statement recalled that one of the most recent cases involved striker Luighi of the Alviverde’s under-20 team, the target of racial injury in Libertadores game against Cerro Porteño, last Thursday (6) in Paraguay.
During the confrontation, fans of the rival team made gestures imitating monkey in the direction of the Brazilian. One of them, near the grid that divided the field of the stands, held a child on his lap. The match, valid for the quarterfinals, was not paralyzed at the time.
The episode united Brazilian clubs, including Palmeiras historical rivals, such as Corinthians and Sao Paulo, to press Conmebol (South American Football Confederation) for harsher punishments to the Paraguayan team, fined $ 50,000 ($ 289,000).
“If you delay [para ir ao campo] It’s $ 100,000. There are 78,000 to light up flag. See how Conmebol faces the crime of racism. It’s absurd, “criticized Leila Pereira, president of Palmeiras.
Given the situation, she said she intends to introduce to Brazilian clubs a proposal to leave Conmebol and find herself to Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central and Caribbean).
“Since Conmebol cannot curb this type of crime [racismo]can not treat Brazilians with the size that clubs represent to Conmebol, why not think about joining concacaf? Only then will they respect Brazilian football. It’s something to think about, “he said.
According to the leader, clubs affiliated with Libra and LFU sent on Monday (10) a letter to FIFA (International Football Federation), asking the entity to intervene in cases of racism and Conmebol itself.
Before the game with Sao Paulo for the semifinal of Paulista, the Palmeiras mascots brought to the field a flag with the theme #somosociety, mentioning a campaign launched by the club in 2024 to combat all kinds of discrimination.
Invited by the home team, rapper Rincon Sapiência evoked a minute of noise against racism soon after the end of the athletes’ warming. In addition, the players displayed a track with the phrase “all against racism.”
São Paulo also promoted an action, with players carrying the sayings “Racism = Less 3 points” in the sleeve of the shirt. The club argues that acts of racism in football matches generate punishments not only in the criminal but also sporty sphere.
