Shortly after the match in Abu Dhabi, there were fears among Palmeiras officials about how Luan would be received by the fans. He had committed the penalty that gave Chelsea the 2-1 victory in the Club World Cup final last Saturday (12). Minutes later, he was kicked out.
The fear was unfounded. The defender ended up being applauded by fans who were in the United Arab Emirates and had his name shouted by the approximately 100 people who went to the Football Academy, in the Água Branca neighborhood, west of São Paulo, to receive the athletes this Sunday (13).
“Luan is mature, he played for us…. He knows he has our support”, said fellow defender Gustavo Gómez.
At the hotel where the delegation was staying, Luan was seen crying alongside family members and also received support from fans who were there. In recorded video, one of them is heard telling the player to raise their head.
“You are marked in the history of Palmeiras. Thank you, Luan. It’s just gratitude.”
Minutes before, still on the field, he had vented about the sadness he felt for having participated, even if involuntary, in the defeat.
“Sad, very sad. A lot of preparation time, a dream. It’s a life. Now it’s time to reflect. I don’t have much to say. I don’t like being a victim, victimizing myself”, he told Bandsports.
Luan had already committed the penalty that defined the elimination of Palmeiras in the previous World Cup, with defeat to Tigres. This time, in addition to the decisive infraction, a touch of the hand, lost the dispute for the high with Lukaku in the first goal of Chelsea.
Even so, in return, he received support. And it wasn’t the only one. Some fans went to the way out of Guarulhos International Airport and waited for the bus with the squad to encourage the squad. Others waited at the entrance to the Football Academy to shout out the players’ names.
Hours after the vice, the assessment of the club’s board is that nothing or very little needs to change. The fans understood the effort made by the team and the work of Abel Ferreira who took the English team almost to the limit. The definition of 2 to 1 took place only at the end of the second period of extra time.
For President Leila Pereira, the result in Abu Dhabi does not change the plans, and Abel Ferreira’s thoughts are now on the Recopa Sudamericana, against Athletico. The first leg is scheduled for the 23rd.
The coach’s own request for the group to celebrate the runner-up in the United Arab Emirates was seen as a sign that everything should continue as it is. The main need is still the hiring of a number 9, but there is no name close to the agreement. For the second place in the World Cup, Palmeiras will receive US$ 4 million (R$ 21 million) in prize money.
The only player considered to be able to leave the squad is Danilo, 20, mainly because of his good performance at the World Cup. But even that should not happen now. The European market, for example, is closed. It will only open in July.
The support on arrival in Abu Dhabi comes in handy for the president, who, despite having assumed the presidency on December 15, was already facing criticism because of the lack of reinforcements and the choice of advisors who would not be from Palmeiras.
The union at the time of the defeat even included former president Paulo Nobre, who is Leila Pereira’s rival and left the club because of her candidacy to command Palmeiras. He published a video with a message of support for the players and praised the team’s performance.
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