Palmeiras invests heavily, but weakens in the final stage and ends 2025 without titles for the first time in the Abel era.

Lima – The year in which it invested the most money in reinforcements in its history, Palmeiras He competed for titles, but weakened in the final stage of the tournament Brasileirao And who Libertadores The year will end without a single title.

This will be the first season without lifting trophies since the team was led by Abel Ferreira, the longest-serving coach in Brazilian football. He finished five years as Palmeiras coach in October and said he would extend his contract.

“I said that in the year Palmeiras doesn’t win a title, I don’t need to continue here,” he said on more than one occasion.

Palmeiras collapsed at the end of this season, to the point that they did not win any of their last six matches. The five consecutive stumbles in the Brazilian League practically eliminated the chances of winning titles. The team is five points behind leaders Flamengo, which can confirm victory in the next round. There are six points left to decide.

If they finish the Brazilian League in second place, the club’s current position in the table, Palmeiras will end the year with three second places, as they also lost a Paulistão decision to arch-rivals Corinthians in March. In the Brazilian Cup, he fell in the round of 16 to his main rival as well. In the Club World Cup, he was eliminated in the quarter-finals against Chelsea.

Appel pointed to a deep rework of the team to justify what he calls “disruption” in 2025. This year, the club spent 700 Brazilian reals One million dollars to strengthen the squad with 12 new players and eliminate 20 athletes.

Important names arrived such as Victor RoqueTo this day, the most expensive athlete in Brazilian football, and Andreas Pereira. Revamped without Mike, Marcos Rocha and Ze Rafael, the team gained freshness but did not take off. He had positive sequences, but played poorly again when he couldn’t and the misses piled up.

The selection of young athletes, without the experience of some athletes who are no longer part of the team, is the dominant factor in explaining the frustration in 2025, in the opinion of the Portuguese coach.

“Balmereis has a growing squad. We have the experience of a team that has been built all year. The last two months have been very difficult for us,” the coach said after the defeat to Flamengo in the continental final.