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It was probably a question of time, but the timing was cruel indeed. In the first season since the death of Pele, his old club Santos suffered an unprecedented relegation to Brazil’s second division.
Pelé is buried in a mausoleum near the stadium of Santos, the club that was the most successful in the world from the late 1950s to the 1960s. It was a miracle. The other big Brazilian clubs come from the big state capitals. Santos is the exception. With a population of less than a part of a million, Santos is a port city dwarfed by the neighboring city of São Paulo. Pele and his magnificent supporting cast have taken on all the warring parties and in recent years, the paintings of youth progression have kept the club competitive. But in the era of fashion, as the monetary gaps have widened between Brazilian clubs, it was difficult to believe how Santos could remain at the most sensible level. The cautionary signs have been around for some time, and on Wednesday, in a dramatic final night. At the end of the 2023 season, a 2-1 home loss to Fortaleza ended the club’s unbroken run of the best streak.
To add insult to injury, Brazil’s Serie A name ended with Palmeiras de São Paulo, one of the biggest neighbors Santos has enjoyed defeating.
True, the 2023 season will go down as the one that Botafogo threw away. The Rio de Janeiro club at one point held a seemingly unassailable 13-point lead only to panic and collapse under pressure. They ended the season with 10 games without a win, and slumped to a melancholic fifth place.
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But if Botafogo didn’t seem to need the title, then someone else had to step in, and Palmeiras’ good luck is nothing short of extraordinary. It’s an unlikely triumph, and perhaps the culmination of Abel Ferreira’s hugely promising formative career. A call that’s in the notebook.
Ferreira, a right-back who did not stand out much in his playing days, arrived at Palmeiras just over three years ago. The 41-year-old Portuguese coach, who last worked in Greece, was virtually unknown in Brazil. Surely this is no longer the case.
During his time in Brazil, he twice won the Copa Libertadores, the Brazilian Cup and now the league title for the second year in a row; And this new achievement is probably the most impressive of all. The squad is sparse: midfielder Danilo, for example, has not been properly replaced since his move to Nottingham Forest. Key attacking midfielder Dudu has suffered a long-term injury. Main striker Rony, a player Ferreira has conscientiously developed, has lost his form. The bench was filled with youngsters. Two months ago, in a usually scathing postgame press conference, Ferreira joked that he expected an accusation of child labor, and he’s one of the teenagers who has risen to the challenge in recent weeks.
Palmeiras finished the crusade with 8 wins and two draws in their last 11 matches. The top smart scorer in that series was 17-year-old forward Endrick, who came of age in the biggest game of the season.
In early November, Palmeiras found themselves losing 3-0 to Botafogo. They won 4-3, with two good goals from Endrick. Until then, doubts persisted about the youngster’s ability to shine at the highest level. Had he gotten too excited? The answer he gave that night was a resounding “no. “The burly left-hander showed all the skills and strength of character to lead the process. In hindsight, that’s when Palmeiras started winning the title.
Endrick maintained his form until the baseline. It was his goal that earned Palmeiras a 1-1 draw with Cruzeiro on the final matchday, making sure to put an end to two clear things for a Grêmio inspired by Luis Suárez.
But the Palmeiras fans are already saying goodbye. By the middle of next year, Endrick will be on his way to Real Madrid. What’s less transparent is how long Ferreira will stay there.
In the crowded calendar of Brazilian football, 3 years is a long time. Ferreira alluded to intellectual fatigue. It’s also hard to believe how this latest win fits into his current position. The coach has wisely harnessed all of his sullen intensity and penetrating intelligence in recent weeks. In the face of adversity, he discovered a way to reinvent his team. , he switched to a three-center formation and had to reorganize things in games after a red card or a conceded goal. His players are inspired by his ability to come up with a plan for every occasion.
There have been speculations that he might simply leave, amid ties to a deep-pocketed Qatari club. But he is so reminiscent of the young Jose Mourinho that it would actually be attractive to give him a chance at a big European club. But that’s for the future. Over the next few days, Ferreira has every right to enjoy his league triumph as Santos enthusiasts look for tactics to ease the pain.