The triumph of Bahia over Palmeiras last Sunday (28) resulted in press conferences with criticisms from both sides.
The focus was on the condition of the pitch at the Casa de Apostas Arena Fonte Nova.
During the match valid for the 25th round of the Brasileirão, Anderson Barros, the football director of Verdão, assured that the club would file a formal complaint to the CBF.
Alviverde believes that the possible injuries of Lucas Evangelista and Piquerez – who were substituted in the first half – were related to the pitch conditions.
In his press conference, coach Abel Ferreira did not hold back:
“It’s difficult, you’re not prepared for this type of situation, you’re not prepared to play on a field with such a pitch…. We’re talking about high-level football, professional football, this should be inadmissible. Injuries arise due to the pitch conditions because the foot gets stuck, unfortunately. If you go out there, you can see that the pitch is painted, I can’t understand it, but there you go.”
Ceni, on the other hand, believes that the pitch “facilitated” the playing style of the São Paulo team. Even though Bahia’s goal came precisely from a direct play.
“I think the color was very ugly. For Palmeiras, it’s better to have a bad pitch because they almost only play direct. Their playing characteristic is Weverton-Flaco-Vitor Roque. We are more affected because we play from the back on the ground. We would also like the pitch to be in better condition, but I think it hindered us more. About injuries, I’m sorry, but for those who play on synthetic turf to complain about injuries on natural grass, that’s not right. And I’ll stop here, let’s value our victory and not hide the opponent’s defeat due to a field that offered minimal conditions. Is it ideal? I agree. But blaming muscle injuries on the pitch is too much.”
Check out the highlights of both statements below:
Check out the best moments of the duel below and share your opinion on the pitch:
Palmeiras held the position of best visitor until the setback in Salvador.
There are seven wins, two draws, and now two losses. With a goal difference of five.
But they saw Flamengo reach the same performance with a goal difference of nine after the triumph over Corinthians in Itaquera.
Meanwhile, Bahia ended a bad streak in the Brasileirão. It was three losses and one draw.
Check the updated standings here.
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