With Carlos Miguel settled, Palmeiras reunite with idol v Grêmio | OneFootball

Palmeiras will come up against one of the idols of its recent history again in the match against Grêmio, scheduled for this Thursday, in the ninth round of the Brazilian Championship. It is goalkeeper Weverton, who moved to the club from Rio Grande do Sul at the start of this season.

Weverton lost his starting spot at Palmeiras in the final stretch of last year after suffering a fracture in his right hand. His immediate replacement, Carlos Miguel, stepped up, performed well, and earned the starting role. Today, the number 1 shirt belongs to him in the Palmeiras team.

After beginning the year as a backup, Weverton received what was considered an “irrefutable” offer from Grêmio and asked Palmeiras president Leila Pereira to let him leave. The club wanted to renew the goalkeeper’s contract, which ran until the end of 2026, but Weverton was sincere and said he wanted a fresh start, according to the president.

Palmeiras then terminated Weverton’s contract, leaving him free on the market, and he was officially announced by Grêmio in January of this year, taking over as the starter and never giving up the spot. Before that, he was honored by Palmeiras — after all, he had become one of the biggest idols in the club’s recent history.

Shortly before the derby against Santos, on January 14, the player was honored inside Arena Barueri. Accompanied by his family, Weverton was welcomed by president Leila Pereira and presented with a commemorative plaque. The number 21 also received affection from his teammates and coach Abel Ferreira.

(Photo: Disclosure/Palmeiras)

Weverton wrote his name into Palmeiras history. Signed in 2018, the goalkeeper rose from third choice to leading man. Over nearly eight years, he took part in decisive moments in state, national, and international competitions, collecting titles and individual awards and becoming a benchmark for Verdão.

For Palmeiras, he made 454 appearances as a starter, with 218 clean sheets, one assist, and a string of titles that make him the club’s second most decorated player, with 12: two Copa Libertadores titles (2020 and 2021), three Brazilian Championships (2018, 2022 and 2023), four Paulista Championships (2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024), one Copa do Brasil (2020), one Brazilian Super Cup (2023), and one Recopa Sudamericana (2022).

Weverton is also the goalkeeper with the most titles won wearing the Palmeiras shirt and holds the record for the most clean sheets by a goalkeeper in Libertadores history, with 52.

Now at Grêmio, the player has taken the number 1 shirt and has played 15 matches this season, with one assist and 19 goals conceded.

Other reunions

Besides Weverton, Palmeiras will also meet other familiar faces again in the match against Grêmio. Verdão will see full-backs Marcos Rocha and João Pedro again.

Marcos Rocha, like Weverton, established himself as one of the idols of Palmeiras’ recent history. Verdão wanted the player to see out his contract until the end of 2025, but reached an agreement with the full-back and released him early. He then signed with Grêmio in August of last year.

João Pedro, meanwhile, has an older history with Palmeiras and wore Verdão’s colors from 2013 to 2016. He started in the under-19 team and was later promoted to the senior squad. Finally, there is also Caio Paulista, who is on loan from Palmeiras and, due to a contractual clause, is expected to miss the match.

The ball starts rolling for Palmeiras and Grêmio at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) this Thursday, on the pitch at Arena Barueri, in Barueri (SP).

Palmeiras’ next matches

Palmeiras x Grêmio (ninth round of the Brazilian Championship) Date and time: 04/02 (Thursday), at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Arena Barueri, in Barueri (SP)

Bahia x Palmeiras (tenth round of the Brazilian Championship) Date and time: 04/05 (Sunday), at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Arena Fonte Nova, in Salvador (BA)

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