Abel Ferreira fires back after Cerro v Palmeiras: What century are we in? | OneFootball

Palmeiras, managed by Abel Ferreira, drew 1-1 away to Paraguay’s Cerro Porteño in a match from the third round of Group F of the Copa Libertadores. The dimensions of the pitch, shortened to a minimum width of 64 metres, sparked controversy.

“Do you know what century we’re in? I have nothing else to say,” said the Portuguese coach on the matter. “We played a very good game, in my opinion, in the first half, against a team that narrowed the pitch, with man-to-man marking, which affected things a lot. We had chances to score and we didn’t. It’s up to you to talk about it — to me, to yourselves, and to whoever organizes it, if you want. As for the rest, I’ll keep focusing on what I can control. When I focus on what I control, I’m very good. When I don’t, I don’t do what I should,” added the former Sporting man, as quoted by Globoesporte.

Ariel Holan, coach of the Paraguayan side, also addressed the controversy, playing it down. “The rules are clear. The size of the pitch was the minimum required. In the Libertadores, there are pitches measuring 100x64 metres. Today the pitch was 64 metres wide and 105 long. I don’t believe this is decisive for the game,” he explained.

As for the match itself, Jhon Arias scored for Palmeiras in the 33rd minute, while Carlos Miguel, from the penalty spot, in the 72nd minute, set the final score. As a result, the Brazilian side coached by Abel Ferreira now has five points, one fewer than leaders Sporting Cristal. Cerro Porteño, in third place, have four points.

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