Abel Ferreira's unusual reaction after Palmeiras taunts Flamengo | OneFootball

Paulinho called for silence and stepped on Flamengo’s crest

On the goal that sealed Palmeiras’ win over Flamengo, Paulinho, formerly of Vasco, called for silence from the crowd that packed the Maracanã and made a point of stepping on the red-and-black crest. Earlier, Flaco López slapped Mengão’s corner flag. Asked about the players’ actions, coach Abel Ferreira disapproved.

— I would very much like to see the footage before answering. What I can say, without seeing the footage, is that I am completely against this mentality rooted in Brazilian football of provoking the rival. I am against any kind of act that is provocative or encourages violence, whether from our fans or the opposing fans — Abel said.

SO, DID THE TAUNTS TRIGGER REACTIONS?

After Flaco López knocked Flamengo’s corner flag to the ground, Guillermo Varela went after the Argentine. A brief scuffle broke out on the pitch, and the striker was shown a yellow card for the gesture. Some Palmeiras players even apologized to the fans.

At the end of the match, Paulinho scored the third, called for silence, stepped on the crest, and enraged De La Cruz, who came in pushing the forward. Then a full-blown brawl started, ending with several cards, including one for the scorer of Palmeiras’ goal.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND, HUH?

Flamengo had been on a long winning run against Palmeiras and had not lost in the Brasileirão since 2017. On top of that, they won the Brasileirão and the Libertadores last year without that kind of taunting, even with the São Paulo side finishing as runner-up.

And, as Arrascaeta said in a social media post, “it’s not the end.” Flamengo is still alive in the Brasileirão and has qualified for the Round of 16 of the Libertadores, a situation Palmeiras will try to secure next Thursday (28). Now, all that remains is to wait for the next meetings to see what the players’ attitudes will be like.

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