Raphael Veiga fights to win back Palmeiras starting spot, Abel backs him | OneFootball

Raphael Veiga may have a chance to bounce back at Palmeiras after losing his spot in the team, and he has the support of Abel Ferreira, who praised him after the 3-0 victory over Vasco last Wednesday at Allianz Parque. The midfielder was given a chance as a starter, provided an assist, and left the field to a standing ovation from the fans.

“Talking about Veiga is talking about Palmeiras. He feels Palmeiras inside him. And Veiga is a bit of what I’ve already said… Brazilian football and its toughness. It’s not easy to maintain the level he had. He’s been here with me for five years, had three and a half extraordinary years, as one of the best midfielders,” said Abel.

Raphael Veiga’s year was hampered by physical problems

Recently, Veiga had to step away from the pitch for just over a month, treating pubic pain. During that period, he missed six matches for Palmeiras. Before that, the player wasn’t performing at his best and faced criticism from the fans.

Since his return, he’s played in five of Palmeiras’ last six matches. He came on in the win over Internacional (4-1) in the Brasileirão, and in the victories over River Plate (1-2 and 3-1) in the Libertadores, and started in the win over Fortaleza (4-1). Afterward, he was on the bench in the loss to Bahia (0-1) and got another chance in the starting eleven against Vasco.

“He had some physical problems, but now he’s regaining his physical capacity because he’s a fundamental player for us, whether he plays or not. He’s one of the leaders. He knows because I talk to him very naturally. He says, ‘Coach, the team is doing well,’ and I tell him to keep working,” said Abel.

Against Fortaleza, the midfielder ended a three-month goal drought. Then, against Vasco, he provided the assist for Flaco López’s first goal of the match. Veiga could take advantage of the space opened up by Lucas Evangelista’s injury to finally regain his spot at Palmeiras.

“Football is very dynamic, there can be injuries, suspensions. When it’s your turn to play, give your best. Everyone is happy to see him play. He just needs to keep going. He has to stay focused, keep improving, because that’s how it works. A true champion is never satisfied and looks to improve every day. That’s what we have in Veiga,” the coach continued.

Raphael Veiga’s numbers

This season, Raphael Veiga has scored four goals and provided eight assists in 41 matches, 22 as a starter. Throughout his time at Verdão, he has 106 goals in 366 games, ranking 15th among the club’s all-time top scorers.

The midfielder is one of the club’s most decorated players, with 12 titles: two Libertadores (2020 and 2021), two Brazilian Championships (2022 and 2023), four Paulista Championships (2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024), one Recopa Sudamericana (2022), one Copa do Brasil (2020), and one Supercopa do Brasil (2023).

Palmeiras’ situation in the Brasileirão

With the win over Vasco, Palmeiras took over second place in the Brasileirão, with 52 points, now one point ahead of Cruzeiro and three behind Flamengo. Abel Ferreira’s team has two games in hand over the team from Minas Gerais and one less than the team from Rio.

Palmeiras’ upcoming matches

Match: São Paulo vs Palmeiras Competition: Campeonato Brasileiro (27th round) Date and time: October 5, 2025 (Sunday), at 4:00 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Morumbis, in São Paulo (SP)

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