Leila Pereira responds to Abel Ferreira after Palmeiras loss: "We can't…"

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Coluna do Fla

·26 November 2025

Leila Pereira responds to Abel Ferreira after Palmeiras loss: "We can't…"

What did Leila Pereira say about Palmeiras' defeats in the Brasileirão?

Palmeiras president, Leila Pereira, responded to Abel Ferreira's recent statements about the Brazilian Championship. According to the president, the São Paulo team cannot blame the refereeing for the points lost.

— I don't believe we didn't win in the last 5 games because of refereeing. I cannot outsource the responsibility that is ours. We didn't win due to our own responsibility, our own incapacity. This is very clear to me, to the football director, and I think it is also very clear to our coach -, she said, before adding:

— So, what are we going to do? We will try to correct it. I don't agree and I don't like it. You see me very rarely talking about refereeing, about the schedule. This difficulty is not only for Palmeiras. Refereeing mistakes don't happen only with Palmeiras, they happen with all clubs -, she said.

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Additionally, Leila Pereira took the opportunity to emphasize that Abel Ferreira does not make statements on behalf of Palmeiras. According to the president, only the president has the power to speak on behalf of the São Paulo team.

— I will speak clearly: the one speaking is the president of Palmeiras, and the only one who speaks for Palmeiras is the president. We didn't win due to our incapacity and we are aware of that. And we will work to overcome these difficulties -, she concluded.

What did Abel Ferreira say after the game against Grêmio?

Abel Ferreira was upset with Palmeiras' defeat to Grêmio in the Brazilian Championship. Thus, the coach mentioned some incidents where the São Paulo team was supposedly harmed in the Brasileirão.

— I don't live on "ifs". If the penalty had been called, the game would have been 3-3 or 4-3, but after this penalty, a lot changed. Namely, the referee of this competition was left hanging, are other referees not afraid? Of calling, for example, the penalty at Maracanã (on Gómez at the start of Flamengo vs. Palmeiras) -, he said, before concluding:

— If you compare the penalty with Arrascaeta's at Palmeiras' home in the first round, is there much difference? Is there a difference in the ball that hit the Vitória player and wasn't even reviewed by VAR? Are the referees all afraid that the CBF would punish them and the STJD would give even more days of punishment, something I had never seen in five years in Brazil? -, he concluded.

What is Palmeiras' next game?

Palmeiras is now preparing to face Flamengo in the final of the Libertadores. The match is scheduled for 6 PM (Brasília time), in Lima, Peru, with live coverage from Coluna do Fla.

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