Early moaning? Abel Ferreira pressures refs before Flamengo v Palmeiras | OneFootball

Flamengo and Palmeiras face off on Saturday (23) in a match that pits the Brasileirão leader against the runner-up

The ball only starts rolling on Saturday (23), but the traditional strategy of ‘putting pressure behind the scenes’ has already been set in motion by Palmeiras. With an eye on the clash against Flamengo, coach Abel Ferreira used the post-defeat press conference after the loss to Cerro Porteño (PAR) in the Libertadores to get ahead of the refereeing debate and demand “courage” from whoever is appointed for the showdown between the Brasileirão leader and runner-up.

— They are two great teams, with a very strong rivalry in the fight for titles. Above all, I hope it is a good match and that the referee chosen has courage as his main characteristic — he said.

— It is very important that the referee has courage. Maybe I’m guessing who it will be; it takes courage to officiate a match like this. May it be a great game, and may Palmeiras win, as we always try to do, just as we did today — Abel Ferreira concluded.

A DECISIVE MATCH?

The match is taking on highly decisive significance for both teams. Although Palmeiras is not at risk of immediately losing first place this round even in the event of a defeat, a Flamengo win would bring the Rubro-Negro right up to the top of the table.

Since Flamengo has a game in hand in the competition, the head-to-head clash becomes crucial in the title race for both sides. That is exactly why the Portuguese coach’s warning tone is trying to ‘shift the responsibility’ onto the officiating crew, raising the temperature of a showdown that promises to shake up the league.

HAS THE OFFICIATING CREW ALREADY BEEN DECIDED?

Despite Abel Ferreira’s remarks, the CBF has not yet defined the officiating assignment for the match. It is worth remembering that the ball starts rolling for Flamengo vs. Palmeiras on Saturday (23), at 9:00 p.m. (Brasília time), at the Maracanã, in the 17th round of the Brasileirão.

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