Leonardo Jardim dodges Abel Ferreira question, says: “A character” | OneFootball

Leonardo Jardim’s Flamengo faces Abel Ferreira’s Palmeiras next Saturday (23)

Flamengo head coach Leonardo Jardim stirred things up behind the scenes ahead of the derby against Palmeiras by describing rival boss Abel Ferreira’s behavior as a ‘character’. On the eve of this Saturday’s (23) direct showdown, which could leave the Rubro-Negro just one point off the top of the Brasileirão table, Jardim praised his fellow coach’s career path but made a point of distancing himself from the stance adopted by the Palmeiras manager.

While detailing the relationship between the two, the Flamengo coach recalled the ‘partnership’ they began in Portugal during the 2013/2014 season, when they worked at Sporting (POR). Jardim highlighted the professional respect he still has for the Palmeiras manager and said that his opponent’s conduct in Brazilian football concerns only him and the São Paulo club.

— I’ve known Abel for many years now, since 2013/2014, when I was at Sporting. Abel was the coach of my B team, and from there we built a working relationship. We used to talk about football, about strategy. It’s not a relationship where we talk every month, but it is one built on respect. When we are together, we always talk about football. I think he has done a beautiful job here in Brazil. And regarding this character he plays, that concerns only him and the club he represents. Everyone is who they are -, he said.

A MATCH WITH SPECIAL INGREDIENTS?

This Saturday’s (23) clash takes on decisive overtones because of the teams’ positions in the table and their recent results. At the moment, Palmeiras leads the competition with 35 points, while Flamengo sits second with 31. While the green-and-white side is looking to bounce back after losing to Cerro Porteño (PAR) in the Libertadores, the red-and-black team comes in riding a win over Estudiantes (ARG).

Off the pitch, meanwhile, the boards of the two clubs are engaged in an intense battle behind the scenes. Recently, Palmeiras president Leila Pereira and Flamengo president Bap traded public barbs in the press. These disagreements mainly involve off-field issues and debates over Libra’s commercial blocs.

On the other hand, Leonardo Jardim’s remarks ‘echo’ the pressure surrounding the rival in front of the microphones. That is because Abel Ferreira frequently complains about officiating, which repeatedly draws criticism over his stance in press conferences. In that sense, the term “character” used by the Flamengo coach refers to that behavior in the technical area and in dealings with the media.

WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF FLAMENGO VS PALMEIRAS?

The ball starts rolling for Flamengo and Palmeiras at 9 p.m. Brasília time on Saturday (23), in the 17th round of the Brasileirão. As usual, Coluna do Fla will provide full coverage of the derby through YouTube, social media, and the website.

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