RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira left open the possibility of leaving the club after securing back-to-back Brazilian Serie A titles on Wednesday.
A 1-1 draw at Cruzeiro on the final day of the season was enough to guarantee Palmeiras' 12th top-flight title and their ninth trophy in all competitions since Ferreira took charge in November 2020.
"You know I have a contract but ... I can't guarantee anything," Ferreira told reporters after his side's triumph. "As I said when I came here, I couldn't guarantee titles, I only guaranteed quality work. Yes, I have contract, but it's football and anything can happen."
According to widespread local media reports, the 44-year-old former Sporting Lisbon right-back has been offered a lucrative deal to join Qatar's Al-Sadd.
But an even greater carrot could be the opportunity to reduce his workload and stress levels.
Ferreira has been a stern critic of the Brazilian football calendar, which runs from January to December and requires teams to play up to 90 games a year.
"I've mentioned before that I'm tired. I need a vacation," Ferreira said. "Just knowing that on January 17 we'll be playing again makes it very difficult for me."
He added: "It's easy to win once, twice... Now we've done it nine times. We know that this carries with it an added burden because people always expect you to do more and better. The players have already told me that they've given a lot. I don't know if I have enough energy to continue getting the most out of them."
Palmeiras president Leila Pereira said she would do everything possible to convince Ferreira to stay.
"We haven't talked about it yet, but fans can be sure of one thing: I will do everything possible and impossible for him to stay at Palmeiras for many years," Pereira told SporTV.
"Abel has a contract with us until December 2024, and I believe he will fulfill it. He is a very serious professional." ■
