Opinion – PVC: What explains Abel and Sampaoli rejecting the Premier League to stay in Brazil?

Journalist has no friends. It has sources. And it doesn’t always serve to preserve them. Hear a story, check it out, believe it, publish it and, when challenged, say a source told it. From the moment the origin is disclosed and preserved, the owner of the story is the reporter.

In this case, the columnist.

The preamble serves as a defense for the conversations below to have secret interlocutors. For the certainty of veracity and the discovery of how the market for coaches in Brazil is going, compared to small teams in Europe.

What explains Abel Ferreira and Jorge Sampaoli being scouted by Brighton, fourth in the Premier League, and not considering the move?

Jorge Sampaoli wants to be Flamengo’s next coach. His presence in Rio de Janeiro and conversations with businessmen have been indicating his campaign for this for a long time, although no red-black leader pays any attention to the matter. Dorival Júnior is the coach and will continue to be if they win the Libertadores on October 29.

Earlier this week, Abel Ferreira learned of interest from Brighton, who lost Graham Potter to Chelsea after the fall of German Thomas Tuchel.

Quickly, Abel’s agents clarified that there was no chance of him leaving Palmeiras now.

The next day, news came that Sampaoli’s name had been considered at the same club. Agents in England swear it’s not true. Anyone who works close to the Argentine guarantees that he is.

Would Abel accept the English offer if he came in November, at the end of the Brazilian? From Portugal, the demand is answered with a warning: “Let’s not talk about assumptions.” It is not in question whether Abel will leave Palmeiras or not. The idea is to understand how much you pay in Brazil compared to a team in Europe that doesn’t fight for the title.

If the Sampaoli staff says that Brighton sought out the Argentine, who is unemployed and doesn’t even want to talk about the transfer to the United Kingdom, why stay in South America?

“He is building a house in Buzios. He wants to live in Brazil,” says an agent.

But he has a market. A member of Sampaoli’s coaching staff at Atlético-MG, two years ago, says to the four winds that Sevilla and Bayer Leverkusen were sought after. Even so, does Sampaoli want to stay in Brazil?

How much does Brighton pay compared to Flamengo and Palmeiras?

Dropped into space, the question goes unanswered for minutes. I insist. Would Sampaoli earn 40% more if he coached Brighton? There is no absolute certainty, no official conversation has advanced, we talk about projections, Brazil’s big team vs Europe’s medium team. Finally, a light: “Flamengo can pay a little more than Brighton.”

Wow! Suspicion confirmed. Sampaoli’s staff swears he has a market, but here he can earn more than there. And live well, Rio-Búzios connection.

And Palmeiras? If real revenue at Parque Antarctica is one third below that of Gávea, how much would Abel receive at Brighton? Maybe 20% more? 30% more? Again, delayed response. It is always worth mentioning that, without a proposal on paper, the debate is about general market conditions. How much?

“Brighton pays half of Palmeiras.”

Nines out of the euro, the pound and the tax burden, how many coffees if the espresso costs R$5 on Palestra Italia Street and 3 euros on Oxford Street, a Palmeiras coach buys twice as many coffees with his salary in Brazil.

This must be the reason why Oswaldo de Oliveira says that the Portuguese arrive here with their foot in the door. You didn’t drink so many good coffees even when the Brazilian coach was champion in Japan.