Abel Ferreira, the disciple José Mourinho who seeks to win the Copa Libertadores again

The Portuguese Abel Ferreira, Palmeiras coach and disciple of his compatriot José Mourinho, aspires next Saturday to win his second consecutive Copa Libertadores title and the third followed for Portuguese coaches.

The last obstacle that separates him from reaching glory again is Flamengo, champion of the Libertadores in 2019, then led by Portuguese Jorge Jesús, and winner of the last two titles in the Brazilian League (2019 and 2020).

Again a Brazilian team in the continental final. In the previous one, held on January 30 at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Ferreira’s pupils defeated Santos in agony with a goal in the last minute of added time (1-0).

At that time, the Portuguese coach had only been on the bench for three months of the green and white painting. The continental title, the first important of his career as a coach, automatically elevated him to the altars of the local fans.

A few weeks later the second would arrive, the 2020 Brazil Cup, after passing over the Gremio (0-3 in the first leg and 2-0 in the second leg).

It was the confirmation of this coach and former player of almost 43 years, until then unknown to the vast majority of mortals and who started in the lower categories of Sporting Lisbon, to later lead his country’s Braga and Greek PAOK.

José Mourinho, his great mentor

His admiration for José Mourinho, now Roma coach and before Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter and Porto, among others, is public and notorious. He considers him his “greatest reference” and his main inspiration when preparing the big events.

“We owe everything to him,” said Ferreira in reference to his colleague, at the conclusion of its successful 2020 campaign. He also used to say that when he got married, he carried “three books by Mourinho under his arm.”

“My wife asked me what I was doing with those books, that I would not have time to study or read. At that time I was still a player, but I kept asking myself what was it about that coach that everyone was talking about, “he recalled in an interview this year.

Even Ferreira’s press conferences are reminiscent of Mourinho’s. Two examples: he has complained a few times about the treatment of the press and has read the statistics, one by one, of a certain match to defend his team’s performance. A mourinhista to the bone.

Criticism in its second season

This year the atmosphere has not been so idyllic. Ferreira is beginning to show the wear and tear of training the club with the most Brazilian Championships (10).

With no options in the Brazilian Championship, which Atlético Mineiro will foreseeably win, Palmeiras gave up surprisingly in the round of 32 of the Brazilian Cup against Second Division CRB.

Palmeiras and Flamengo, Copa Libertadores finalists who went from crisis to rejoicing

In the Libertadores he shone in the group stage, but has been far from his best version in the qualifiers against Universidad Católica, Sao Paulo and Atlético Mineiro, which he failed to defeat either in the first leg (0-0) or in the second leg. semifinals (1-1) and only went through the added value of away goals.

The return of Dudu, the main novelty

The backbone of the team remains the same with respect to the last Libertadores final. Weverton, international with the Brazilian team, It is a fixture in the goal. The Paraguayan Gustavo Gomez and the brazilian Luan are immovable in the center of the rear.

rony continues to be the most reliable striker. The main novelty is the return Of the offensive midfielder Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues, better known as Dudu, who left Palmeiras in mid-2020 as the leader of the squad and returned last July after his brief transfer to Al-Duhail of Qatar.

Dudu is now a fundamental piece for Ferreira, who intends to extend the reign of the Portuguese coaches in the largest soccer club tournament in America. It would be his second Liberators and the third in the centennial history of Palmeiras. (D)