An invitation for Abel Ferreira to see the Palmeiras busts | OneFootball

Abel Ferreira once said not to believe everything he says in interviews. In the first press conference of the year, he stated that “Weverton is the greatest goalkeeper in the history of Palmeiras, whether you like it or not.” I sincerely hope that this statement is on the list to be ignored.

Weverton is the longest-serving player in the current squad, having been with Abel since the beginning, but it’s unanimous that he is not the greatest, especially at a club that has traditionally produced goalkeepers over its 111-year history.

The number 21 started the season on the bench, which is unusual for someone who had been the starting goalkeeper in the opening match for seven consecutive seasons. He is a leader in the squad and will have to deal with an uncommon situation after a long time. Even though there is a rotation with Carlos Miguel, he is no longer the undisputed starter—quite the opposite, in fact.

Weverton is marked as the goalkeeper of a victorious era for Palmeiras, just as Sérgio and Velloso were in the 1990s, for example. And even so, they are not considered the greatest.

The social club features six busts right at the entrance on Rua Palestra Italia. Two of them are goalkeepers: Marcos and Oberdan. Abel Ferreira is invited to stop by. It’s also a way to confirm that Palmeiras was founded before 2020.

Billions here, millions there

Palmeiras invested poorly in 2025. They paid a high price for many average players, and Vitor Roque, Andreas Pereira, and Carlos Miguel are the exceptions on a long list. The billions raised from the sale of the Academy’s young talents were poorly used.

The team didn’t get weaker because of the sales, especially since many of the youngsters could have been used more by the coach. The coaching staff’s lack of conviction cost them the 2023 Libertadores.

Recognizing the mistake is the first step to doing things differently this season. Now is the time to bring in reinforcements instead of just signings.

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