Palmeiras face first trophyless year under Abel after another setback | OneFootball

Palmeiras was defeated by Flamengo this Saturday in Lima, finishing as runners-up in the Libertadores. However, the end of the season could be even more melancholic. For the first time in the Abel Ferreira era, the team could finish a year without winning any titles.

Since the Portuguese coach arrived in 2020, Palmeiras has won at least one title every year. See the list below:

(Photo: Ernesto Benavides/AFP)

Frustrating Season

This was the second time Palmeiras ended as runners-up in 2025. In March, the team was beaten by Corinthians in the Campeonato Paulista final.

The third could be near. Verdão still has mathematical chances, but is five points behind leaders Flamengo in the Campeonato Brasileiro table, with two rounds left in the competition. In the Copa do Brasil and the Club World Cup, the club failed to reach the final.

As a result, Palmeiras fans could see a season boosted by almost R$ 700 million in reinforcements end in a disappointing way. This, however, does not worry Abel, who says his work at Palmeiras is not evaluated by the board solely on results.

“In football, no one loses alone. I understand the culture of the country, but the culture of the club I’m at is different. Fortunately, I’m not evaluated only by results. If that were the case, after today, I’d leave. Those inside the club don’t judge me just by results. It’s results, processes, squad building, player sales, titles. It’s a sum of everything,” said the coach after the Libertadores runner-up finish.

And the Clause?

In mid-July this year, Abel revealed a clause that was holding up his contract renewal with Palmeiras: the Portuguese coach wanted to be released if he went through a season without trophies.

“I’m here because I won. There’s just one clause left to sign with Palmeiras: if I don’t win titles, I can leave. That’s the only one left because Leila doesn’t want to include it. I have a two-year contract to sign since January, until 2027, but I only want to stay if it’s to win titles,” the coach said at the time.

However, that idea seems to be in the past. Even before the Libertadores final in Lima, the manager guaranteed he would stay at the club. Leila Pereira’s wish is a renewal until the end of 2027, which coincides with the end of her term – the current contract expires at the end of this year.

Dream Postponed

With the defeat in the final, Palmeiras saw their dream of a fourth title postponed and were overtaken by Flamengo among the biggest Libertadores champions. Rubro-Negro is now the only Brazilian club with four continental trophies. In addition, Alviverde was avenged for the 2021 title, in Uruguay.

Palmeiras’ Next Match

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