Abel Ferreira has been in Brazilian football for almost seven weeks and so far things could scarcely have gone better on the pitch for the Portuguese coach at Palmeiras.
With the team enjoying continued excellent form under their new boss, Abel is in the midst of a fight for three major trophies: the Brazilian league championship, the Brazilian Cup and the Copa Libertadores. However, a recent spell on the sidelines with covid-19 brought a disruption for Abel which the team were forced to overcome in his absence.
Abel made all the right noises when arriving in Sao Paulo at the beginning of last month, having pushed to be released from his contract with Greek side PAOK to pursue his ambition of managing in Brazil. Palmeiras had been searching for a new coach after dispensing with veteran Vanderlei Luxemburgo and the 41-year-old Portuguese was chosen to continue what had become a strong run of form during the interim period between bosses.
Nothing is won yet
While league form has been solid, seeing Palmeiras gain on the leadership since Abel’s arrival, the team are 12 points behind first-place Sao Paulo and while they have two games in-hand, inevitably the Copa Libertadores has emerged as the more intriguing prospect. Jorge Jesus’ Flamengo won the tournament last year as part of a clean sweep of all three major trophies and Abel looks set to attempt to match his compatriot in becoming champion of South America.
Related article: Jorge Jesus - the outsider who conquered Brazil
"We haven't won anything yet,” Abel stressed earlier this week. “We have to think about the next day. We don't think about if we're going to win this or that. If neither [Pep] Guardiola and [Jurgen] Klopp promise titles, I also can't do it because I'm a long way from their capabilities. Even so, in one year they are champions and in the next they are 20, 30 points apart. And they are the best coaches in the world. The only thing I promise is to impose our game and do whatever it takes to win every game.
“To win titles, we have to have the best defence. They often speak about the way we attack, but I speak about the way we defend. That's what we have to focus on, it's the commitment to run fast forward and even faster back. As long as we have that, we will be close to winning something.”
Could we have another Portuguese winner of the Copa Libertadores? Abel Ferreira’s Palmeiras are into the semi-finals after brushing past Libertad 3-0 tonight pic.twitter.com/vgdBgG12VP
— Sean Gillen (@SeanGillen9) December 16, 2020
Palmeiras will meet the winners of the tie between Argentina’s River Plate and Uruguay’s Nacional in the Copa Libertadores semi-finals, with River strong favourites with a 2-0 lead heading into the second leg in Montevideo. River, who lost out to Jesus’ Flamengo last year in the final, would represent stiff competition, but Abel is clear on the quality his team possess.
“I have never coached a team with such quality,” he said. “They are great men. We know that to win, it takes much more than playing well. It takes unity. We are building that warrior spirit. That’s how great teams are built, with great men.
“I want to congratulate the team for how they played [against Libertad in the quarter-final] for the level they showed and for the quality they had in some moments of the game. It was another step, but we haven’t won yet. We are focused on what we want and know well what we have to do. We have a lot ahead of us and we’re going to stay focused.”
“I was scared”
Abel has also endured plenty of off-field disruption, namely a positive test for covid-19 which led to him handing the matchday responsibilities over to his staff for recent matches. Now recovered, the former Braga boss spoke at length about what he experienced during his time away from contact with the players and staff.
“I will say exactly what I felt: the first night I was scared,” he began. “People think that leaders are not afraid. I confess that the first night I was afraid because this virus has different ways of reacting in all bodies. The first night I didn’t want to fall asleep because I was scared. Fortunately, after the second night, everything started to stabilise, I stopped having a fever, I started to be normal. It was a very peaceful ten days.
“Everybody in the club called me to ask if I needed anything, I was always supported. The people at the hotel were very nice to me, obviously with the proper distance because no one could enter the room. I was the one who did the cleaning and took care of everything, it was also good to pass the time. Fortunately everything went well.
“I have a highly competent technical team. I have a team of coaches who work with me, they are not assistants, they are coaches. With the technology we have today I can be present and the club offers all the conditions so that nothing is missing. So I was always present. I had individual and collective zoom meetings. There was no contact and physical presence, but everything else was there.
“These players know what they need to do, I told them there are times in the game when they don’t even need a coach to play.”
A notion backed up by in-form forward Rony, who scored in the 3-0 second-leg win over Libertad. “We are all confident, we all know what we have to do,” said the 25-year-old, before referring to Abel with clear respect. “The teacher only passes on what we have to do, which is to run for and help each other. Everyone is committed, the teacher makes things a lot easier for us.
“We don’t have time to train, the time we have for tactical training is spent with him telling us how to position on the pitch. This is working, things are moving forward.”
By Sean Gillen
