Abel Ferreira laments tight schedule: Brasileirão and Libertadores | OneFootball

Flamengo and Palmeiras decide the Libertadores final this Saturday (29), in Lima, Peru

Minutes before leading Palmeiras against Grêmio for the 36th round of the Brasileirão this Tuesday (25), Abel Ferreira criticized the Brazilian football calendar. This is because the team will decide the Libertadores final with Flamengo in Lima, Peru, on Saturday (29).

— Directors of major European clubs call me and say: ‘how can you play the final of the biggest competition in South America and play 3 days before?’ -, highlighted the coach in an interview with SporTV.

Is Abel Ferreira's complaint genuine?

Indeed, Flamengo and Palmeiras have many games this year and it is not over yet. However, after the 35th round of the Brasileirão, Abel Ferreira stated that the tournament was already decided.

Thus, Palmeiras will play against Grêmio with the team considered as reserves. In other words, Abel's main players will arrive rested on Saturday (29), which suggests that the coach is criticizing the calendar as a precaution, so that if he loses the Libertadores final, he can say he warned about the accumulation of games.

The statement, however, becomes even more curious when remembering that Palmeiras celebrated the change in the calendar. This is because the green team's game against Atlético-MG was postponed, as the Minas Gerais team was close to the South American final.

How many games do Palmeiras and Flamengo have in 2025?

While Flamengo played six competitions this year, Palmeiras was in five. However, the green team has one more match compared to the Rubro-Negro, which has 71 duels.

Competition table provided by Superscore

Both are three games away from the end of the Brasileirão and one from the Libertadores. However, the winner of the continental tournament will still have the opportunity to play the Intercontinental, whose final will be against Paris Saint-Germain PSG (FRA).

Is Flamengo also playing this Tuesday (25)?

While Palmeiras faces Grêmio starting at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), Flamengo faces Atlético-MG on the same day and time, at Arena MRV. A Rubro-Negro victory and an Abel Ferreira defeat in this round would give the Brazilian title to Mais Querido.

And when is the Libertadores final?

The final of the Libertadores 2025 takes place this Saturday (29), starting at 6 PM (Brasília time). Flamengo and Palmeiras will duel at the Monumental Stadium in Lima, Peru. Thus, the team that wins will be the first Brazilian team with four titles in the competition.

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