Abel rues packed schedule after Palmeiras win: ‘We must create conditions’

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·6 April 2026

Abel rues packed schedule after Palmeiras win: ‘We must create conditions’

Palmeiras defeated Bahia 2-1 this Sunday (05) at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Bahia, and extended their lead at the top of the Brazilian Championship. After the match, coach Abel Ferreira criticized the run of games with little time to rest.

– I’m not asking for a week off. I’m asking for at least three days, so we can play with intensity and quality. We have to create the right conditions. – We’re a country of continental dimensions. It took three hours to get here to Salvador, tomorrow it’ll be six hours to play in Colombia on Wednesday, then another six hours back to Brazil and two days later we play Corinthians. Do you think that’s right? Is that taking care of Brazilian football and its players? Does that help the quality of Brazilian football?

Abel also complained about the eight minutes of stoppage time in the second half, even without the hydration break, which stopped being necessary in April. The Portuguese coach said that after eight matches, with stoppage time of that length, it is as if the team had played one extra game.

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– I don’t understand the eight minutes. If you keep adding eight minutes like that, after ten games we’ve basically got another full match in our legs. Has no one noticed that? I don’t understand it, and no one is going to change it, but I’ll complain whenever necessary.

The coach also highlighted the three points won away from home and praised Bahia, who are fifth in the Brasileirão with 17 points. In addition to complimenting the opponent, he emphasized Palmeiras’ quality, as the team reached its fifth straight win.

– We’ve played here in Salvador against Bahia several times. From the start, we saw the intensity with which Bahia played. It’s an aggressive team that plays excellent football. It’s always a difficult match against a well-organized side. – Our secret is consistency. You don’t need to spend three hours in the gym once a week. If you do ten minutes every day, that’s enough, but it has to be every day. Palmeiras lose and win that way, whether in the Libertadores, the cup, or against different coaches.

What now?

More of a leader than ever, Verdão now have 25 points from ten matches, ahead of São Paulo and Fluminense, who have 20. Flamengo and Bahia, in 4th and 5th place respectively, have 17 points with one game in hand and can therefore reach 20.

Palmeiras now turn their attention to the Libertadores. The team opens its continental campaign on Wednesday (8) against Junior Barranquilla, in Cartagena, Colombia. In the Brasileirão, the next clash is on Sunday (12) against Corinthians at Neo Química Arena.

Palmeiras’ next matches

Junior Barranquilla-COL x Palmeiras – Libertadores – 04/08 (Wednesday) – 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time)
Corinthians x Palmeiras – Brazilian Championship – 04/12 (Sunday) – 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time)

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