If any Portuguese coach looks like someone who spent nights on FM, it is Abel Ferreira. And he confirmed it himself.
The Penafiel save
In March 2021, in an interview with Globoesporte during a holiday in Portugal, the Palmeiras coach said he played Football Manager when he was still a player. The club he chose could not have been any other: Penafiel, from the town where he was born and started playing.
The goal was to reach the top flight with one of the oldest clubs in the second division. And the confession deserves applause for its honesty: he often did not manage it, but it was a way to pass the time.
So if you have never won promotion with Penafiel, you are in good company.
FM at Palmeiras
The most curious part comes next. Abel said he still uses the game today to check the characteristics of players Palmeiras suggests to him. He made it clear that he no longer wastes time playing, but uses it to get information and statistics. For him, the game’s knowledge is “very real”. It is one of the sources he uses, he said, but not the only one.
For those who do research for FM, and we know there are many Portuguese on that team, it is quite the compliment. The work of people rating players at weekends ends up being consulted by one of the most successful coaches in Brazilian football.
