Since arriving in Brazil, the Portuguese has accumulated titles, victories, criticism and some embarrassments
Since arriving in Brazil, the coach has accumulated titles, victories, criticism and some embarrassments. . It is undeniable that the Portuguese coach marked (and continues to mark) his name in the history of Brazilian football. The discussion today is the size that the relatively young 46-year-old commander has already reached.
With three Libertadores finals and two titles, plus two Brazilian titles, a Copa do Brasil, a Recopa Sul-Americana, a Recopa do Brasil and three Campeonatos Paulistas, it is safe to say that he occupies a place among a select pantheon of coaches not only in Brazil, but in South America.
If we compare it with Portuguese with big names, such as, for example, Telê Santana or Felipão, the numbers are similar. Telê was Brazilian champion twice, as well as the Libertadores. He won two South American Recopas and six state championships (two from Minas Gerais, two from São Paulo, one from Rio Grande do Sul and one from Rio).
The Brazilian has the advantage in the World Cup titles (two), but it is necessary to remember that these were different times. Currently, it is almost impossible to imagine the South American champion beating the European. Abel and Palmeiras competed in 3 World Cups. Two in the previous format and one in the new FIFA tournament.
The results didn’t come. In 2020, an early fall for Tigres de México. In 2021, a game that almost went to a penalty shootout against a shot-down Chelsea, if it weren’t for the careless action of defender Luan who gave the English a free penalty with 3 minutes left in the game. In 2025, they fall in the quarter-finals to the same Chelsea, 2-1 again, after a relatively balanced game.
These are normal and expected defeats in the current context. However, some embarrassments also mark the Portuguese’s time at Palmeiras. A good example is the treatment given to the Copa do Brasil. Eliminations at home to CRB and Corinthians, the club’s biggest rival, do not help Abel’s statistics. The team considered “cup cup” and which achieved several important comebacks left something to be desired.
However, other big names also suffered important defeats, Felipão himself was one of those directly responsible for Palmeiras’ relegation in 2012. Therefore, it can be said that criticism of the coach is a little excessive, since despite some defeats and moments of instability in command of the club, he never even came close to a major sequence of defeats or relegation.
On the contrary, under Abel’s command, Palmeiras always reached at least the Libertadores semi-final. He finished four of five Brazilian Championships in the top three (in 2021 his performance was greatly affected by the start of Luxembourg). Performance on the field may not always be consistent, but the results are. Which is normally the tip of the scale in Brazil.
Abel among the greats of Palmeiras
Analyzing purely the number of titles, Abel Ferreira already occupies the first position, tied with Osvaldo Brandão.
Osvaldo Brandão and Abel Ferreira – 10 titles
Vanderlei Luxemburgo – 8 titles
Ventura Cambon – 7 titles
Luiz Felipe Scolari – 6 titles
Dealing with the press and players
What can be criticized, then? Part of the fans understand a certain ingratitude from the coach, mainly due to the public speeches in which he repeatedly criticized the Alviverde crowd, whether “demanding” for support, or complaining about the way the fans deal with defeats.
Abel, like the fans, doesn’t seem to know how to deal with defeats. The most recent example was the comment that the Libertadores final, in which they were defeated by Filipe Luís’ Flamengo, “had an asterisk”. The speech was in relation to the non-expulsion of Erick Pulgar for stomping on Bruno Fuchs.
Despite admitting Flamengo’s superiority, Abel does not mention the fact that his team ended the game without scoring a goal. It is a recurring behavior from the coach when the tide is not good. The statements indicate a certain reluctance to take responsibility for defeats.
Furthermore, on more than one occasion, Abel publicly criticized players from his own team. Again, more recently, he stated that Flaco López “forgot to do what he was doing.” Despite this, the Argentine center forward praised the coach in a conversation with journalists in the mixed zone of the “Troféu Mesa Redonda”, on TV Gazeta.
“The work he does with us is very important. We grow a lot alongside him. Unfortunately it wasn’t the season we wanted, but it was full of learning.”
The statement comes even as rumors of raids with Abel were circulating in the press. At least the confidence of his squad, the coach seems to be. If anything can tarnish the image of Portuguese, it is its own language.
