Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira on Friday accused Brazilian football referees of being intimidated by an earlier controversial suspension, alleging their fear influenced critical decisions that cost his team the Brasileirão title.
Ferreira’s remarks followed Palmeiras’ 3-2 defeat to Grêmio, a result that effectively ended their pursuit of the league championship.
“Did other referees not get scared?” Ferreira questioned after the match. He suggested that officials were hesitant to make calls against Palmeiras after a previous incident led to a significant suspension.
He referred to an October 5 match where Palmeiras was losing 2-0 against São Paulo. Referee Ramon Abatti Abel and VAR Ilbert Estevam denied São Paulo a penalty despite a clear foul by Allan on Tapia in the box.
Both officials were subsequently suspended for 40 days by Brazil’s sports justice tribunal (STJD). Ferreira implied this punishment created a chilling effect among other referees.
“After this penalty, many things changed,” he stated, citing specific instances where he felt his team was denied crucial penalty calls. He mentioned unawarded penalties in matches against Flamengo at Maracanã, Santos, and Vitória.
Ferreira added, “After the game against São Paulo, all of us at the club understood what was happening. And I also understood it in the last game. It wasn’t Palmeiras that gave up.”
With only two rounds remaining in the Brasileirão, Palmeiras sits five points behind league leader Flamengo, making a title victory mathematically improbable. The two teams are set to face each other in the Libertadores final on Saturday.