Despite an investment exceeding 100 million euros, the president did not respond well to the coach's complaints before the match against the Millonario
Palmeiras, the next opponent of River in the Copa Libertadores, is without a doubt the team that invested the most to strengthen its squad. President Leila Pereira, who years ago had been criticized by fans for her austerity in the market, has now decided to open the wallet and make all resources available to coach Abel Ferreira.
The final expenditure exceeded 100 million euros, with high-profile signings such as Andreas Pereira, Vitor Roque, Paulinho, Ramón Sosa, and Facundo Torres, among others.
In this context, the coach's complaint after the 1-1 draw against Corinthians in the Brasileirao was surprising. At the press conference, Ferreira regretted not having a substitute striker on the bench: "There was no center forward left on the bench".
Abel Ferreira quería sumar un centro delantero más
According to reports, those statements were not well received by the club's leader, who believes that the club did more than enough to build a squad tailored to its coach. The president not only recalled that all the names he requested were signed, but also emphasized that the coach changed his playing system at the end of the transfer window, which prevented the addition of another center forward.
Although the sale of Estevao Willian to Chelsea after the Club World Cup deprived the team of a game-changing player, it was a planned departure and, in fact, the coach was allowed to select reinforcements to make up for that loss for the second half of the year.
With such an investment, Pereira's discontent with Ferreira's complaints seems logical, and it could affect a good relationship that has lasted for years and included several major titles.
