Abel Ferreira blasts refereeing, but ignores Palmeiras penalty reprieve | OneFootball

Coach criticized referee João Vítor Gobi, but forgot to mention the penalty overturned in Palmeiras’ favor by VAR

Abel Ferreira complained about the refereeing again after Palmeiras’ 1-1 draw with Mirassol. The Palmeiras coach blasted referee João Vítor Gobi in his post-match interview. However, his remarks left out an incident that benefited the São Paulo side itself.

What Abel Ferreira said about the refereeing

“We want the best referees, and the standard is unbelievable,” the coach said. According to Abel, “Felipe Anderson was grabbed around the neck, and they didn’t even call a foul.” He also mentioned another incident involving Palmeiras’ midfield.

“It’s unbelievable that there was a foul on Marlon Freitas, but he didn’t call it and didn’t even give a yellow card. It’s unbelievable how he sent Arthur off,” added the Palmeiras coach. He said the lack of consistency caused “agitation on the bench.” Thus, the speech followed the familiar script of Abel Ferreira’s recurring complaints.

The coach also suggested he knew the referee’s track record in other competitions. “I know this man, he referees the Paulista championship. In Brazil, there are better referees for this kind of match.”

The detail Abel Ferreira did not mention in the interview

His comments, however, ignored a decisive call in Palmeiras’ own favor. Mirassol had a penalty overturned after a VAR review during the match. Therefore, the refereeing also benefited Abel Ferreira’s team.

For Flamengo fans, the complaint sounds all too familiar and repetitive. Abel Ferreira has complained about refereeing on several other occasions this season. Even so, the coach rarely acknowledges incidents that favor his own team.

The pattern of constant complaints creates suspicion among Palmeiras’ rival fans. However, the reputation for “playing the victim” has followed the coach for some years now. Many Flamengo fans see the remarks as a strategy to pressure referees in future matches.

The draw kept Palmeiras at the top of the table, but with a smaller advantage than they had at the start of the round. As a result, Abel Ferreira’s comments seem even less justified given the outcome. Flamengo, in second place, continues to watch every detail of the title race.

Abel Ferreira and his history of complaints about refereeing

It is not the first time the coach has publicly questioned referees’ decisions. Therefore, the episode reinforces a behavior pattern already well known to fans. Even so, his comments rarely include any self-criticism about calls that favor his own team.

For Flamengo supporters, this selective criticism loses strength in light of what happened in the match. Still, Abel Ferreira remains confident in his strategy of publicly pressuring referees. Flamengo, meanwhile, prefers to leave the complaints aside and focus on its own performance.

What is the Brasileirão situation?

With the draw, Palmeiras reached 52 points from 25 matches. Meanwhile, Flamengo has 48 from 24 matches. The game in hand takes place next Wednesday (02), against Mirassol. This means that if Fla wins, they will be just one point behind the São Paulo side in the race for the top spot in the Brasileirão.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.