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Posts Tagged ‘mancha verde’

Sonar pings #95 – plenty of action on the transfer market

Posted in Administration, Players, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on June 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Palmeiras are little by little unloading dead weight in the squad. Midfielder Régis never progressed and has been returned to Sport. Today, fullback Leandro Almeida signed with Internacional, on loan, for the rest of the season. Every palmeirense jumping with joy, no irony.

tobioThe future of Fernando Tobio remains uncertain. In 2015, after losing space in the squad and facing personal issues, Tobio made clear his desire to leave, more or less forcing a transfer to Boca Juniors. His time now up at the Argentine club, Boca initially announced they would not evoke their right to purchase. As a return to Palmeiras was practically ruled out, negotiations with Flamengo started. Yesterday the Rio de Janeiro club announced they had instead opted for Réver, from Internacional. This explains [sic] why Inter went after Leandro Almeida. Full circle, with Tobio as bystander and his contract with Palmeiras running until end of 2019. However, rumours yesterday claim Boca have changed their mind and are signing Tobio for three years, liberating him from Palmeiras at a US$ 2,7 million price tag.

The supposedly promising Chilean midfielder Arancibia, by some dubbed “the new Valdivia”, did not see his contract renewed with Palmeiras. Youth division manager Sampaio says there has been an accelerated development among players competing for the same position, like Arthur and Kauê, making Arancibia superfluous. The Chilean arrived at Palmeiras in April 2015, suffered a series of injuries and never caused much of an impression.

Midfielder Arouca had an arthroscopy last week, treating a minor knee condition. Expectations are for a speedy recovery. Check out his message to fans on social media, with a picture of him undergoing the procedure.

Alecsandro-3Palmeiras yesterday confirmed that a urine sample from striker Alecsandro, collected on 3 April after the 1-0 victory against Corinthians for the São Paulo championship, tested positive for steroids. A second test will be conducted early next week. More info to follow.

Palmeiras finished the U17 World Club championship as runner-up to Real Madrid, the title being decided in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw at full time. Our young players were very close to the title, conceding the draw only a few minutes from stoppage time. Nevertheless, a splendid campaign, showing Palmeiras’ relatively recent investments in the youth divisions are paying off.
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The organised supporter group Mancha Verde has announced it is expelling nine members, identified as participants in last Sunday’s violent outbreak at the Mané Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, where Palmeiras beat Flamengo 1-2. The Mancha also say they will cooperate with the police. Both these acts are nothing short of a mini-revolution if considering the organisation’s track record. Let us hope this is the beginning of a new Mancha Verde.

Also Palmeiras are cooperating with the police, having identified 17 of the troublemakers as Avanti members and excluded them from the supporter programme. In addition, Palmeiras are studying the possibility to take these supporters to court for “dishonouring the name of the club” and possibly inflicting punishment on Palmeiras from authorities.

The strained relationship between Palmeiras and Allianz Parque constructor/manager WTorre reached new heights as the “partner” announced Palmeiras would not have access to the stadium on yet another home game, as on that date it would be used for a screening of the movie “Independence Day: Resurgence”.

The contract between Palmeiras and WTorre is a very sad piece of work: Palmeiras have no means of vetoing dates and events as long as WTorre pays a specific fine (which, by the way, the construction company has failed to do). Still, frustration felt by Palmeiras supporters have been somewhat “under control” due to class acts like Iron Maiden, Katy Perry and Paul McCartney being the cause for Palmeiras having to play elsewhere. Now, expel Palmeiras in order to promote a movie screening?! Supporters went nuts when they learnt about this and within hours, campaigns were drawn up to put pressure on the organisers. The protests soon escalated to a promise: go through with the plans, and we will sabotage your event, making more noise around and inside the stadium than you could possibly imagine.

I am absolutely convinced our supporters would have won this tug-a-war, but we will never know: the Brazilian Football Federation accepted Palmeiras’ request and anticipated the date of the game, avoiding a clash.

Now, that was yesterday. Today supporters learnt that yet another event is planned, exactly on the date Palmeiras would receive Santos, this time in order to conduct a religious service on the premises. The “ThereWillBeNoSceening” hashtag was quickly replaced with a “ThereWillBeNoService” equivalent, climbing the ranks in no time. The message seems clear enough: no third party event at the Allianz Parque will be peaceful unless conceived in harmony with Palmeiras and Palmeiras’ supporters.

As you notice, a week full of excitement, the major one still ahead of us: Sunday’s derby. Why not raise the adrenaline level a notch or two? It is easy to place a bet, you know…

Scoppia che la vittoria è nostra!

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Palmeiras’ history laid out for the world during Carnival

Posted in Art, Supporters, tagged , , , , on February 18, 2015| 2 Comments »

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These last few days, the largest and most spectacular yearly open space festivity in the world took place all over Brazil: Carnival. In Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, the traditional samba schools have supporters and stir up passions just like football does. In fact, some samba schools originate from organised football supporters – just like the Mancha Verde samba school, created in 1995 and originating from Palmeiras’ largest supporter group with the same name.

During Carnival, the samba schools compete – in accordance to strict rules – to crown a champion. Mancha Verde was first among the São Paulo schools to parade this year, and the theme chosen for the parade was “Palmeiras – 100 Years of Battles and Glory”, telling the story about Brazil’s most successful football club.

The school this year came in 28 segments, with five cars and a total of 3.500 people in costumes, including the school’s #1 muse Viviane Araújo, pictured above. Below, enjoy some more pictures and a compiled video with highlights.

The parade did not please the judges, who relegated the Mancha Verde to the second division. They can say whatever they want, and for whatever reason they chose: there is not a palmeirense who doesn’t understand the magnitude of bringing the history of Palmeiras to millions of viewers in Brazil and abroad. What the Mancha did will never be forgotten.
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The rumble… The rumble…

Posted in Administration, Brazilian Championship, tagged , , , , , on August 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »

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Palmeiras lost fair and square to Atlético Mineiro, the scorecard reading 2-1 at fulltime. An open game, with both teams pursuing the three points. It would actually have been a pleasant game, had it not been for the festival of errors: some 100 passes didn’t find the right destination. Pleasant, had it not been for the eight straight game without victory in the Brasileirão. And the apparent low gears of Leandro, Wesley… The absurd limitations of Josimar, Menezes… You know the script.
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The Verdão are 1 point from the relegation zone after 14 rounds. Have not won a game in the Brazilian championship since the post World Cup retake. Obviously, Palmeiras haven’t got the best of squads, but it’s still, on paper, far from the worst. Many more humble squads are doing better. We need answers, and quickly, in order to avoid the disaster of all disasters in this year of the centenary.

The rumble is not only affecting players, but players have started creating their own. Something’s cooking involving Wesley, Leandro, Deola… Especially Wesley – considered a central piece and a good player – has been underperforming for quite some time. The locker room was apparently very tense after yesterday’s game. His contract is about to be renewed. Or is it? I seriously don’t know what to hope for, but based on my gut feeling, it might be best if he walked.

There’s also rumble on president Paulo Nobre’s doorstep. Literally. As these lines are being written. Palmeiras’ largest supporter group – the Mancha Alviverde – are positioned outside Nobre’s house. Two busloads and then some. A peaceful protest; at least that’s the order. But pressure is rising, no doubt.

In the meantime, mixed expectations in regard to Sunday’s derby against São Paulo. A victory is fundamentally important. Palmeiras should have Valdivia back in the starting eleven – or at least on the bench. If papers from Ukrainian side Metalist arrive tomorrow, Cristaldo will sign a four-year contract, make his debut in the second half and score the winning goal for Palmeiras.

Scoppia che la vittoria è nostra!

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Nobre and the Mancha Verde

Posted in Administration, Opinion, Supporters, tagged , , , , , , , on March 20, 2014| 2 Comments »

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The always relevant Verdazzo published an important piece last Wednesday, exposing the perils Palmeiras supporters might face on their way to, during and after the away game against Santos at Vila Belmiro this coming Sunday.

Summing up the situation: after the 2013 incident at the airport in Buenos Aires, Palmeiras president Paulo Nobre cut all ties with the Mancha Verde supporter group. Not that it had any effect on the presence of the Mancha at stadiums (and not that it was intended to have any effect): home games were never a problem due to the large amount of tickets available, and for away games the MV normally secured the amount they needed by different methods – some of them acceptable and others not so much. That’s the way it is and has been for quite some time.

Well, times they are a changing. After the ruckus during distribution of tickets to the Corinthians vs. Palmeiras clash a few weeks back – where queues outside and inside the club got completely out of hand – the Palmeiras administration has taken an innovating step further in the strengthening of the Avanti membership programme: provide tickets to important away games based on Avanti member’s rating. It’s fairly simple: records are kept on Avanti member’s stadium visits and compiled into a ranking. Against Santos, 700 tickets have been made available for the visiting team. Palmeiras have bought them all and sent an e-mail to the 700 highest-ranking Avanti members, offering them a ticket each at a fixed price. Unsold tickets are advertised a second time to the next set of people on the ranking. Any unsold tickets after he second round will then be made available on a first-come-first-serve basis, Avanti member or not.

The initiative is worth all the praise, as it effectively rewards those who work the turnstile the most. At least, as long as these are Avanti members. And there’s absolutely no reason they shouldn’t be. Be they Mancha Verde or not.

Now, going back to the Verdazzo text, there’s a genuine and legitimate concern for the safety of those 700 palmeirenses heading for the Vila Belmiro. For the first time in ages, there’s no telling how or even if the Mancha Verde will be present. That will have implications on how much chanting and support the relatively small Palmeiras section will be able to convey to our players. Equally or more important: it will have implications on how much protection will be available for our supporters. The Verdazzo convincingly argues that, unless preventive police work is flawlessly executed, the risk of a disaster is overwhelming, as Santos supporters are likely to take advantage of the situation. “It will be the ultimate test to whether Paulo Nobre was right in maintaining an inflexible approach [toward the Mancha Verde]”, Cacace concludes.

But that last sentence is where this space and the Verdazzo will differ. Perhaps in part because I’m not much familiar with the stands, having been to few home games and even fewer away game. In the eyes of some, that alone might be enough to disqualify my opinion entirely. On the other hand, the distance might be what allows me to maintain my focus on principle, even under pressing circumstances like these.

Nobre cut ties with all organized supporter groups based on the principle that physical aggression is incompatible with the society we want to live in and the club’s philosophy. How cynical would it not be if he initiated a rapprochement with the Mancha Verde because Palmeiras, in a sense, need their services as storm troopers, need their protection?

S.E. Palmeiras must do what it can to cater for the supporters’ basic needs, but protection is not one of those: that’s for the authorities and the police to handle. Certainly, Palmeiras should be in constant dialogue with authorities, with the police, and cooperate as much as possible with the aim to increase security for everyone involved. However, at the end of the day, the buck stops with the authorities, with the police.

To lay blame on Nobre for what eventually might go wrong in Santos on Sunday is illogical and inconsistent.

UPDATE: Less than an hour after the publication of this text, three people trashed the Avanti ticket booth in an act of dissatisfaction  for “only” be allowed one ticket each: they wanted 90 tickets out of the total 700 and presented the money. When denied the extended purchase, they attacked the vendor and destroyed equipment and furniture.

Palmeiras responded by suspending the selling of remaining tickets. Full cooperation with the police is expected in a joint effort to identify the perpetrators and bring charges against them. President Nobre issued a firm statement in the afternoon, making clear that the club’s policy remains firm, that Avanti will be the mechanism through which supporters preferably will get their tickets, and that Palmeiras will not bend under pressure.

At this point, there are no information on whether the perpetrators would be members of any of the organised supporter groups.

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Help Lucas catch his breath

Posted in Supporters, tagged , , , , on February 24, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Lucas Neres by Daniel_Ferreira_CBTomorrow Tuesday, the Palmeiras/Meltex basketball team reverts all revenues from the game against Universo/Goiânia to help 16-year-old palmeirense Lucas Neres Pereira undergo a lung transplant in Toronto, Canada.

Lucas, who lives just outside Brasilia, was born with a serious illness – an aggressive kind of bronchitis. At an early age he had his left lung surgically removed and his right lung is operating at only 25% capacity, forcing Lucas to carry an oxygen tube 24/7.

Only in Canada could Lucas receive the medical treatment allowing him to lead a more normal life. The procedure, which includes a lung transplant and close monitoring in hospital for an extended period of time, is however very expensive.

The hard conditions under which Lucas lives have made headlines before. In early 2013 he featured in the local news, triggering the generosity of many people and, not least, the local branch of the Palmeiras supporter club Mancha Verde: not only were funds raised but many improvements were made to the simple house where Lucas lives with his family.

All in all, the equivalent of roughly US$ 300.000 is needed for Lucas to travel to Canada and have his surgery. In order to contribute, you can make a donation:

Bank: Caixa Econômica Federal
Branch: 0973
Account: 766405-5
Account holder: Irani Neres Santana (Lucas’ mother)

Another way of contributing is of course attending tomorrow’s basketball game: as mentioned before, the Palmeiras/Meltex initiative is linked to the fundraising campaign, with game tickets at R$ 10,00 (US$ 4) a piece and revenues going straight into the fundraising pot.

Take a deep breath – because you can – and consider your possibilities to contribute. Every single real will make a difference.
.Lucas

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So far, solid leadership

Posted in Administration, Opinion, Supporters, Youth Academy, tagged , , , , on March 12, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Captain Nobre has one firm hand on the rudder while the other is holding the map with the coordinates. Reaching checkpoints, he ticks them off one by one and adjusts the course. Or what else could be said about:

– the formal charges pressed against the Mancha Verde supporter group in general and identified persons in particular, targeting the responsible for the brawl at the airport in Buenos Aires last week? Until the perpetrators have been expelled from the Mancha Verde and justice has run its course, Nobre – himself with a background in organized supporter groups – says there will be no dialogue. He has also announced the end of privileges to supporter groups, for example free tickets, and also announced the end of free ticket distribution to the members of Palmeiras’ conseglieri.

– today’s announcement of the extinction of the infamous Palmeiras B team, currently struggling in the backwaters of the A3 (!) division of the Paulista Championship, with very real possibilities of relegation? Palmeiras B was originally conceived as an incubator for talents but have for many years been nothing but a Mecca for shady investors/player managers – some of them with strong ties to the club or even counsellors themselves – making profits through commissions. Killing off the B team will partly solve that problem, in addition to saving Palmeiras a decent amount of cash in player salaries. Add to the mix Brunoro’s firm and confirmed policy of only taking on players that have at least 60% of their rights tied to the club (some players on the B team had unbelievable 1% tied to Palmeiras) and we can expect major changes to the dynamics of negotiations between Palmeiras and player agents.

Damiani– the appointment of a Mr Erasmo Damiani as new coordinator of the youth academy? Yet one of Nobre’s election promises, the restructuring aims at professionalising the youth academy with full-time staff dedicated to the spotting and development of future stars. A closer link between the youth academy and the first team is also envisioned. Damiani has previously developed good work at Atlético Paranaense and Figueirense.

With less than two months presiding Palmeiras, I hear voices complaining about the “lack of change”. Seems palmeirenses can’t even agree on the Earth being round…

Scoppia che la vittoria è nostra!

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Sh*t for brains

Posted in Libertadores Cup, Opinion, Supporters, tagged , , , on March 8, 2013| 4 Comments »

home_185107:
You purchase an international fare in order to be present at our team’s important away game in the Libertadores Cup. At the stadium, prior to the game, you and some of your buddies of the Mancha Verde supporter group shout abuse at our players, mainly targeting Valdivia (who responds with obscenities of his own) but also other players, including recently contracted keeper Fernando Prass.

The game is a nightmare. The result, 1-0, would have been catastrophic had it not been for Libertad’s late equalizer against Sporting Cristal.
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0307_hinchas_palmeiras_g_lance_2Early next morning, at the airport, you find yourself in a smaller group, waiting for the squad to arrive, like you’ve done many times before. When they do, you and your mates draw blood: Valdivia is the main target but Prass pulls the shorter straw as shattered glass provoke cuts to his ear and scalp, calling for stitches.

You consider yourself a soldier, a dedicated frontman, a true defender of Palmeiras.

You are as much the enemy of Palmeiras as anything else walking this earth, sh*t for brains.

— ooo —

Within hours after the incident, president Nobre stated that all dialogue with the Mancha Verde supporter group was frozen until the culprits were expelled. Time will tell if there’s true intention behind the words.

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