Palmeiras grant Abel Ferreira extended break during World Cup pause | OneFootball

Palmeiras have granted Abel Ferreira an extended break during the World Cup pause, and he has not yet reported back. Training has begun with three days at the Academia de Futebol without him. His return is expected in the coming days.

According to Globo.com, he told the board he needed to switch off, spending much of his break in Portugal with family. He kept a low profile, though he attended a charity event in Lousada to speak with 18 students.

Assistants João Martins, Vítor Castanheira, Carlos Martinho and Andrey Lopes are running the early sessions. With players focused on conditioning, the club felt the manager’s presence was not essential at this stage.

Ferreira has come through a demanding spell, with only a short recess between the end of 2025 and the start of 2026. April and May were especially heavy, nearly 20 games across 60 days.

The workload brought reward. Palmeiras lead the Campeonato Brasileiro by a healthy margin, are into the last 16 of the Copa do Brasil and the Conmebol Libertadores, and lifted the Campeonato Paulista in March.

Palmeiras have almost a month of training, a rare luxury under Ferreira, before visiting Coritiba at Couto Pereira on 23 July. The extra break is meant to refresh him for a demanding second half and title pressure.

Seven World Cup call-ups are away, as is Giay, who received extra leave after travelling with Argentina despite not being selected by Scaloni. Marlon Freitas has been excused for personal reasons.

Source: Globo.com