Abel Ferreira's unusual reaction to Palmeiras taunts v Flamengo | OneFootball

Paulinho asked for silence and stepped on Flamengo’s crest

On the goal that sealed Palmeiras’ win over Flamengo, Paulinho, a former Vasco player, asked the crowd that packed the Maracanã to be quiet and made a point of stepping on the red-and-black crest. Before that, Flaco López slapped Mengão’s corner flag. Asked about the players’ actions, coach Abel Ferreira condemned them.

— I would really like to see the footage before answering. What I can say, without seeing the footage, is that I am completely against this mentality that has taken hold in Brazilian football of provoking rivals. I am against any kind of act that is provocative or that encourages violence, whether from our fans or the opposing fans — Abel said.

SO, DID THE TAUNTS SPARK REACTIONS?

After Flaco López knocked Flamengo’s corner flag to the ground, Guillermo Varela charged at the Argentine. A small scuffle broke out on the pitch, and the striker was shown a yellow card for the gesture. Some Palmeiras players even apologized to the fans.

At the end of the match, Paulinho scored the third, asked for silence, stepped on the crest, and enraged De La Cruz, who shoved the striker right away. Then a full-blown melee broke out, ending with several cards, including one for the scorer of Palmeiras’ goal.

THE WORLD REALLY DOES GO AROUND, HUH?

Flamengo had been on a long winning run against Palmeiras, and had not lost in the Brasileirão since 2017. On top of that, they won the Brasileirão and the Libertadores last year without that kind of taunting, even with the São Paulo side finishing as runners-up.

And, as Arrascaeta said in a social media post, “it’s not the end.” Flamengo are still alive in the Brasileirão and have qualified for the Round of 16 of the Libertadores, a situation that Palmeiras will try to secure next Thursday (28). Now, all that is left is to wait for the next meetings to see what the players’ attitudes will be like.

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