Abel breaks down in tears in press conference marked by Leila’s invasion and confession

Abel Ferreira experienced a whirlwind of emotions before, during, and after Palmeiras 4×0 LDU, the game that secured the team’s place in the Libertadores final. The Portuguese coach, who had emphasized foreseeing a ‘magical night,’ took the tears from the field to the press room at Allianz Parque in a 42-minute press conference marked by an invasion of President Leila Pereira and confessions from the coach. Confession (part 1): ‘When the game against Cruzeiro ended, I went home and started praying, but God said to me: ‘do your part, it’s no use to pray because others are also praying.” It has to do with work and preparation. In Quito, contrary to what some say, our opponent was much better than us in the 1st half. We couldn’t find our rhythm or impose pressure. LDU, at home, hadn’t conceded a single goal throughout the Libertadores. It was a lot of credit to them at their home, they took advantage of the altitude. In the 1st half, at times, it seemed like we were standing still. In the 2nd half, we corrected it, and even playing poorly, we created enough opportunities to avoid a 3-0 defeat.