Palmeiras ultras protest, call for Anderson Barros to go: “Change now” | OneFootball

The fans of Palmeiras are dissatisfied with the club's current situation. This Wednesday, Mancha Verde, the club's main organized supporters group, called for the resignation of the football director Anderson Barros in a statement on social media.

“In any serious company, the three (Leila, Abel, and Barros) would already be held accountable for administrative incompetence and sporting losses. And here it should be no different. But every change starts with someone. And at this moment, the football director has become the ultimate symbol of the failure of the sports planning. A plan that weakens the squad, delays decisions, pushes solutions, insists on mistakes, and makes Palmeiras lose time — and time in football does not return. Therefore, the fans point the way, clearly and definitively: OUT BARROS,” says part of the statement.

Before the match against Vitória, Palmeiras fans hung a banner in front of the Arena Crefisa Barueri reinforcing the request. After announcing the team's lineup, fans from the organized sector protested: “Barros, c…, out of Verdão”.

Palmeiras ended the last season without titles after investing around R$ 700 million to strengthen the squad. Two of the players signed last year are no longer part of the team: Micael and Facundo Torres. Besides them, the club also parted ways with other players like Aníbal Moreno, Raphael Veiga, and Weverton.

Despite the five departures, the club has announced only one reinforcement so far: midfielder Marlon Freitas. Last Sunday, after a 1-0 defeat to Botafogo-SP in the Paulista Championship, coach Abel Ferreira demanded replacements for his squad.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Mancha Alvi Verde (@manchaverdetorcida)

Palmeiras Transfer Market

The transfer window has been open since January and closes on March 3rd. The management is working to meet the coach's requests and make the squad more competitive. In recent days, Palmeiras has intensified negotiations for the attacking midfielder Jhon Arias from Wolverhampton, and after making an offer, they are awaiting the player's response.

The club also attempted to sign the defender Nino from Zenit, but the Russian club blocked his departure at this time.

Palmeiras' Situation in the Season

Palmeiras is the second place in the Paulista Championship with 12 points earned. They have four wins and two losses. In the Brazilian Championship, they debuted with a draw against Atlético-MG and started the round in second place.

The alviverde team takes the field this Wednesday to face Vitória in the second round of the Brazilian Championship. The match kicks off at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) at Arena Crefisa Barueri.

See the Note from Mancha Verde:

“CHANGE NOW

In any company, in any sector of life, the logic is simple and immutable: when there are no results, when there are losses, the leadership is held accountable.

This is not persecution. This is responsibility.

And when leadership repeatedly fails, the consequence is one: change. That's how it is at work, that's how it is in life. And in football, it cannot — and will not — be different.

Palmeiras has been mismanaged for too long, and this is already reflected on the field: in the results, in the planning, in the choices, and especially in the future of the club.

The problem is not punctual. The problem is structural. And in this scenario, it is impossible to escape those responsible.

Today there are three central pillars supporting this project, and all three need to be held accountable firmly, without hesitation and without shielding.

The first pillar is the president. She is the one who holds the decision-making power, who defines the club's direction, and who releases financial resources. And what many expected from her, given the extent of the damage and the loss of direction, was a minimal gesture of greatness: resignation.

But we know that won't happen. Ego and pride do not allow it. But time is running out. The end of 2027 is already looming, until then, Palmeiras cannot remain hostage to a leadership that insists on making mistakes and refuses to acknowledge its own responsibility.

The second pillar is the football director. This is no longer up for discussion. No more debate. No more justification. He is the main symbol of the failure of sports planning.

Wrong signings, repeated bets, late decisions, a weakened squad, and a Palmeiras increasingly distant from the size it should have. This is not chance. This is incompetence. And incompetence in a giant club has one name: dismissal.

The third pillar is the coach. And here it also needs to be clear: no one erases the history he built. If he has to leave, he will leave being part of history.

But the credit is over. The positive balance has already been spent.

Since signing the pre-contract, what we see is a coach increasingly distant, more complacent, more concerned with explaining than solving.

The discourse has turned into an excuse.

And the responsibility has always become “of others”. Palmeiras cannot be held hostage by anyone. Much less by someone who seems to no longer have passion, hunger, and energy to do what is very well paid.

In light of this, there is no more room for contradictory speeches or for shifting responsibilities from one side to the other. Either there is harmony and command among these three, or Palmeiras is being led irresponsibly, amateurishly, and harmfully.

The fans no longer accept improvisation. The fans no longer accept passivity. The fans no longer accept small decisions for a giant club.

Enough of treating Palmeiras as if it were a medium club that needs to “settle” for competing.

Palmeiras has history, structure, fans, a training center, revenue, strength, and the obligation to be a protagonist.

Palmeiras cannot live on excuses. Palmeiras cannot live on promises. Palmeiras cannot live on plans that are never fulfilled.

In any serious company, the three would already be held accountable for administrative incompetence and sporting losses.

And here it should be no different.

But every change starts with someone. And at this moment, the football director has become the ultimate symbol of the failure of the sports planning. A plan that weakens the squad, delays decisions, pushes solutions, insists on mistakes, and makes Palmeiras lose time — and time in football does not return.

Palmeiras is not a laboratory. Palmeiras is not a place for stubbornness. Palmeiras is not a place for complacency.

Therefore, the fans point the way, clearly and definitively: OUT BARROS.

Palmeiras is bigger than any name, any position, and any idolatry.

CHANGE NOW.

For Palmeiras. For its history. For its fans.”

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