Portuguese coach Abel Ferreira was moved by a mosaic created by Palmeiras fans showing him on the prow of a caravel before he won his 10th title for the Brazilian club shortly after.
“I really am one of them. They say they love me and I love them. Thank you very much, what you did was wonderful, it really touched me and my team, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart,” the coach said at a press conference.
Abel Ferreira was referring to a mosaic submitted by fans in which the coach is depicted commanding a Portuguese caravel with Palmeiras players on his back.
Soon after, the coach won his 10th title with Verdão, after defeating Paulistan for the third time in a row, defeating Santos 2–0 at home and overturning a 1–0 deficit from the first leg.
“Even I have no idea what we are doing. In 15 or 20 years, what these guys are doing will go down in history. We knew we were coming to a big club, but a lot of things came together, the directors had a competence that would help us leave it alone so we could do our job,” he said at the end.
The 45-year-old coach won his 10th title since taking charge of Palmeiras in 2020, as well as three Sao Paulo championships (2022, 2023 and 2024), the last two Brazilian championships (2022 and 2023) and two Copa Libertadores (2022 and 2023). 2020 and 2021), as well as the South American Super Cup (2022), the Brazilian Cup (2020) and the Brazilian Super Cup (2023).
Abel Ferreira’s new achievement also deserves congratulations from Portugal: the President of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Fernando Gomes, left words for the Penafidelicense coach today.
“I would like to congratulate Abel Ferreira for winning the Campeonato Paulista for the third time in a row, his tenth title in Brazil, which allowed him to equal Ousaldo Brandao as the most decorated coach in the history of a Brazilian club,” praised Fernando Gomes.
The FPF’s top leader said there are still no words to praise the coach, who has “one of the most comprehensive CVs in modern international football” in a career in which he claims “charisma, tactical flair and leadership qualities.”
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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