Leila defends Andreas, says: "Memphis slipped several times" | OneFootball

In the crosshairs of the São Paulo Sports Justice Tribunal (TJD-SP), Andreas Pereira was defended by Leila Pereira, president of Palmeiras. According to the executive, the mistake made by Corinthians player Memphis Depay during the penalty kick in the last Derby was not a result of gamesmanship by the midfielder.

On the night of last Sunday, during the seventh round of the Campeonato Paulista, Andreas trampled the area around the penalty spot at Neo Química Arena. When it was time to take the shot, Memphis slipped with his supporting foot and ended up sending the ball wide. With a goal from Flaco López, Palmeiras won the derby.

“Memphis didn’t miss the penalty because of Andreas. He missed the penalty because he took a bad shot, period! People are making a mountain out of a molehill, that’s the truth. Memphis slipped several times in different areas of the field. So, did those slips happen because Andreas went around digging up the entire pitch at Corinthians’ stadium?” said Leila to ge.

In defending Andreas, the Palmeiras president recalled the 2025 edition of the Campeonato Brasileiro. According to her, in a match against Vitória, the midfielder was sent off due to an opponent’s simulation. She also mentioned the 3-2 victory over São Paulo, another match from last year’s tournament.

“Every time we win a derby, there’s some shouting, some commotion. Last year, we came from behind against São Paulo when we were losing 2-0, at our opponent’s home, and all anyone talked about was a penalty by Allan that the referee didn’t give,” said Leila.

“Almost no one highlighted that we scored three goals in just over 20 minutes. So what happens? A few days later, we face Flamengo, Gómez gets pushed inside the box and the referee doesn’t call the penalty. Is that what they want? For Palmeiras to be harmed again?” questioned the executive.

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