Rogério Ceni slams Palmeiras' pitch hypocrisy, criticises Abel | OneFootball

According to Rogério Ceni, Brazilian champion with Flamengo, the team that uses synthetic turf cannot complain

Flamengo benefited from Bahia's victory over Palmeiras this Sunday (28). However, the defeated team complained about the pitch at Arena Fonte Nova. Coach Abel Ferreira, for example, said that two players were injured because of the grass, while Rogério Ceni countered the exaggerated criticisms.

— I think the color was very ugly. For Palmeiras, a bad pitch is better because they mostly play long balls. Their style of play is Weverton-Flaco-Vitor Roque. It affects us more because we play from the back on the ground. We would also like the pitch to be in better condition, but I think it hindered us more — stated Rogério Ceni during a press conference, adding that:

— About injuries, I'm sorry, but for those who play on synthetic turf to complain about injuries on natural grass, that's embarrassing. And I'll stop here, let's value our victory and not hide the opponent's defeat on a field that offered minimal conditions. Is it ideal? I agree it's not. But blaming muscle injuries on the pitch is too much — highlighted the Bahia coach.

What's the context?

Bahia won 1-0 against Palmeiras in the 25th round of the Brasileirão at Arena Fonte Nova. The stadium's pitch has flaws and holes that indeed influenced the match. Lucas Evangelista and Piquerez were substituted in the first half due to suspected injuries.

Competition table provided by Superscore

Remember, however, that clubs and other players started a campaign against synthetic turf this year. One of the reasons for the movement is the argument that injuries are more common on artificial material.

Allianz Parque, home of Palmeiras, is one of the stadiums with synthetic grass. The club, however, claims that the idea that injuries occur because of artificial turf is a fallacy, but they blame the defeat on the natural grass.

Has Rogério Ceni coached Flamengo before?

Former goalkeeper Rogério Ceni joined Flamengo in November 2020 as a replacement for Domènec Torrent at the time. In the same season, the coach became the Brazilian champion with the beloved team. However, he was dismissed in 2021.

How did Flamengo benefit from Bahia's victory?

A defeat for Bahia would have allowed Palmeiras to surpass Flamengo in the Brasileirão. Thus, Bahia's victory helped the Rubro-Negro, who can widen the gap in the standings if they win against Corinthians this Sunday (28).

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