Palmeiras achieves records with third Libertadores title

​Palmeiras arrived at the gallery of Brazilian three-time champions of the Libertadores, alongside Santos, São Paulo and Grêmio. But the alviverde team holds records in the tournament that put them ahead of these clubs in the history of the continental championship.

By beating Flamengo in the final played this Saturday (27), in Montevideo, the Palmeirenses expanded records that place them as the biggest club in Brazil in the competition.

The very confrontation with the rubro-negros made Palmeiras the one that most often represented the country in the tournament decision, alongside São Paulo, both with six finals.

Champion for the first time in 1999 and now with two titles in consecutive editions (2020 and 2021), the team achieved a rare achievement in the championship. The last to achieve two cups in series was Boca Juniors (ARG), with the double and, 2000 (the year in which they surpassed Palmeiras) and 2001.

In the history of Libertadores, the club is only the seventh to achieve a two-time title in a row — in Brazil, São Paulo (1992 and 1993) and Santos (1962 and 1963) also bear the mark.

With 21 participations in the tournament —another record it shares with the São Paulo team—Palmeiras easily leads another statistic: that of being the club that has more games in the competition, with 210 games played.

And it’s not just in front of their fans that the team has been showing its strength. In the tri campaign, he didn’t lose any games as a visitor. Since the group stage, including the knockouts, there have been four wins —Universitario (PER), Defensa y Justicia (ARG), Independiente del Valle (EQU) and Universidad Católica (CHI) — and two draws: São Paulo and Atlético- MG

In all, there are already 15 unbeaten games away from their domains, an absolute record in the tournament — the finals against Santos and Flamengo do not count, as they took place in neutral fields.

The last setback as a visitor came against San Lorenzo (ARG), 1-0, in Buenos Aires, in the 2019 group stage.

Hired in October 2020, coach Abel Ferreira can be proud to say that he has never lost a single game ahead of Palmeiras as a visitor to Libertadores. Under his command, there were six wins and three draws, 16 goals scored and 7 conceded.

The Portuguese, by the way, is now part of a select group of coaches of Brazilian teams who have two achievements in the main club tournament on the continent.

Besides him, Luís Alonso Pérez, Lula (Santos in 1962 and 1963), Luiz Felipe Scolari (Grêmio in 1995 and Palmeiras in 1999), Paulo Autuori (Cruise in 1997 and São Paulo in 2005) and Telê Santana (São Paulo in 1992) and 1993) are on that list.

Also champion of the Copa do Brasil in 2020, Abel is already seen by fans as an expert in knockout competitions.

One of the screams that most infects palmeiras residents in the stands defines the Libertadores cup as an “obsession”. Once again, the object of desire will increase the alviverde gallery after this Saturday’s conquest in Uruguay.