Abel Ferreira breaks silence on Bruno Henrique: "Football has..." | OneFootball

After Palmeiras' defeat to Santos by 1-0, Abel Ferreira spoke about the situation involving a Flamengo player

Last Thursday (13), the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) voted to acquit Flamengo's forward Bruno Henrique of fraud related to betting. After Palmeiras' defeat on Sunday (15), Palmeiras' coach Abel Ferreira responded to the matter.

When questioned about Bruno Henrique's situation, Abel Ferreira refrained from 'judging' the forward. However, he gave a lengthy speech about unity and ethics in football.

— I am a citizen of São Paulo, I've been working in Brazil for five years. I was very well received and I am very grateful to Brazilian football and all the people who welcomed me here. Football here is in the genes of the people who live here, they breathe football. Therefore, football should be the ambassador of what is exemplary for our society. I've said it many times. I am no one to judge what happened, that is not my role. I just think that football has to be the ambassador of values, of what respect, ethics, and education are for present and future generations -, said Abel.

— Certainly, football is part of our blood and as far as I'm concerned, I will do what I can to make football better. Yes, we are rivals. No, we are not enemies. Football needs unity and I think that is what really creates the magic of football, uniting different social classes and not individualism. That is what I think. Regarding what I was asked, I have nothing more to say. I see football as an ambassador of principles, values, ethics, respect, and that is why I love football -, affirmed the Portuguese coach.

DOES ABEL FERREIRA SET EXAMPLES OF EDUCATION IN FOOTBALL?

Having been in charge of Palmeiras for five seasons, Abel Ferreira has been involved in various controversies, including obscene gestures, xenophobic expressions, and disagreements with the press.

In one situation, the coach used a xenophobic expression when commenting on the team's formations, citing indigenous people as a reference to disorganization. In another, he was expelled for making an obscene gesture after getting upset with a referee's decision.

Additionally, Abel was involved in a discussion with a referee that was caught on video. Upon realizing he was being filmed, he snatched the phone from the reporter's hands. Despite all these situations, the coach acknowledged the need to improve his behavior and refrained from judging Bruno Henrique.

— I am very competitive and I need to improve my behavior during the 90 minutes, but I have very little to say about that. The rest, you know how it works better than I do -, he said.

WHAT HAPPENED WITH BRUNO HENRIQUE?

Bruno Henrique received a yellow card in the match against Santos, in the 2023 Brazilian Championship. Subsequently, he was expelled after receiving a second yellow card at Mané Garrincha Stadium.

Before the game, the forward sent messages to his brother saying he would receive the card, and the relative bet on the occurrence. After analyzing the case, the STJD initially imposed a fine of R$ 60,000 and suspended Bruno Henrique for 12 games.

However, the player's defense obtained a suspensive effect, keeping him on the field. Later, the STJD's Full Court reviewed the decision and determined that the Flamengo forward would only need to pay a fine of R$ 100,000.

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