Mentor x mentee: Jardim and Abel meet again in Flamengo and Palmeiras
Listed as the main favorites for the Brazilian Championship title, Flamengo and Palmeiras face each other this Saturday (23), at 9pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the 17th round of the competition.
The confrontation puts the top two in the table face to face and could cause important changes in the fight for leadership in the first round of the tournament.
In addition to the direct dispute at the top, the match marks another chapter in the duel between Portuguese coaches Leonardo Jardim and Abel Ferreira.
And the reunion is more than special.
Reunion between mentor x pupil
The paths of Leonardo Jardim and Abel Ferreira crossed in Portuguese football in the 2013-14 season, when both played for Sporting.
While Jardim commanded the main team, Abel was in charge of team B, which competed in the country's second division.
After visiting Lisbon, their trajectories followed different paths. Abel remained in Portugal and took over Braga, while Leonardo Jardim began his international career by joining Monaco, in France.
Reference
In an interview before the duel between Cruzeiro and Palmeiras, on June 1, 2025, Abel praised his fellow countryman and stated that Jardim is a reference for him within football.
"Without a doubt, he [Leonardo Jardim] is a reference for me, more for the human aspect, for his principles, for his character. I will have the opportunity to embrace him", began Abel.
"You only know half of my story. You don't know all of it. One day I will write my biography and tell you how much it took me to get where I am. He, without a doubt, is one of those responsible. He is a person I admire, not only for his simplicity, but for his work, for his seriousness", concluded Abel in an interview with Prime Video.
Jardim also praised the work of the Palmeiras commander and spoke about the relationship between the two.
"I've known Abel for many years, haven't I? Since 2012, 2013, 2014... when I was at Sporting. Abel was the coach of my B team at Sporting Clube de Portugal and, from then on, we created a working relationship. At that time it was a working relationship because I asked for players from the B team, we played and talked about football, about strategy. And from then on, it was a relationship. It's not a relationship where we call each other every month, but it is a respectful relationship", said Jardim.
"It's a relationship that, when we're together, we certainly talk about football. And I think he here in Brazil has done an excellent job", added the Flamengo commander.
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Reunion in Brazil
The reunion between the coaches only happened more than a decade later, in Brazilian football, in 2025. Since then, both have faced each other in just two matches for the Brazilian Championship, both with an advantage for Jardim.
In the first round, Cruzeiro beat Palmeiras 2-1, in Belo Horizonte. In the duel held in São Paulo, the Minas Gerais team once again beat Verdão, this time by 1-0.
This Saturday's clash also marks the first time that Leonardo Jardim faces Abel Ferreira in charge of Flamengo.
The duel is considered decisive in the fight for leadership, as a red-black victory would reduce the difference to just one point in relation to Palmeiras, leader of the competition and with one game more.
Where to watch Flamengo x Palmeiras
- TV: SporTV (closed TV) and Premiere (pay-per-view).
- Real time: CNN Sports
Flamengo x Palmeiras technical sheet
- Date: 05/23/2026
- Time: 9pm (Brasília time)
- Location: Maracanã, in Rio de Janeiro
- Round: 17th
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Source: CNN