Abel Ferreira flags Palmeiras issue after Libertadores draw: ‘No rest’

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·30 avril 2026

Abel Ferreira flags Palmeiras issue after Libertadores draw: ‘No rest’

Palmeiras and Cerro Porteño drew 1-1 tonight at La Nueva Olla Stadium in Asunción, Paraguay, in the third round of the Libertadores group stage. After the match, coach Abel Ferreira, asked about the team’s performance and their poor conversion of chances into goals, once again criticized the match schedule.

– Our team’s biggest problem is that we don’t get any rest. That’s the big problem (not poor efficiency). – We are the only team that will have a stretch of four matches with only two days of rest between each game. But we will prepare the team whenever and however necessary.

Abel also complained about the condition of La Nueva Olla Stadium in Asunción. Palmeiras identified an unusual situation in the match against Cerro Porteño-PAR: Verdão measured the dimensions of the pitch at La Nueva Olla Stadium in Asunción, Paraguay, and found that its size is outside FIFA’s recommendations.

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– I’ve never seen this in my life. It’s the first time I’ve seen this in many years in football. You have to ask CONMEBOL (about this issue of changing the measurements). – But I can’t talk about CONMEBOL…. I’m going to stop being the shield for issues that are not about the game. If you want to talk about the pitch or the schedule, ask the board. I’m going to talk about football – said Abel, who was judged over criticism of CONMEBOL’s VAR.

The coach also spoke about Ramon Sosa, who played his last match in Paraguay before being called up for the World Cup. The player, who is competing for a place in the national team while playing on the wings, was deployed centrally alongside Flaco López. Abel explained the positional change to the local press.

– My role at Palmeiras is to find solutions. It has been like that since the first day, just as when we turned Rony, a winger, into one of the top scorers in Libertadores history. Because of Roque and Paulinho’s injuries, Sosa is playing this way. I like depth from my forwards, and he can help.

What now?

Palmeiras are second in Libertadores Group F after three rounds – the end of the first half of the competition’s group stage. Verdão have five points, with two draws and one win, behind Sporting Cristal, who have six. Cerro Porteño, with four, and Junior, with one, complete the group.

Palmeiras’ next Libertadores match is on Tuesday (5) against Sporting Cristal in Peru, in the fourth round. Before that, the team faces rivals Santos on Saturday (2) at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) in the Brazilian Championship.