How Abel Ferreira’s Early Days at Palmeiras Were All About the Mindset (Patreon)

When Abel Ferreira arrived at Palmeiras, expectations were high. Fans, media, and club directors were eager to see how the Portuguese coach would shape the team tactically: new formations, pressing structures, attacking patterns. But in those crucial first days, Abel’s priority lay elsewhere.

Before he tried to change how his team played, he wanted to change how they thought.

In his early matches at the helm, Abel placed enormous focus not on systems or strategic tweaks but on mental and behavioural principles. He believed that if he could shape the team’s mindset, the tactics would follow.

A Message Written in “PALMEIRAS”

One of the clearest glimpses into Abel’s philosophy came during a pre-match talk in his early days. As his players gathered in the dressing room, he ended his speech with a powerful slide projected onto the wall. Across it was written a single word:

PALMEIRAS.

Each letter stood for a value he wanted his team to embody:

• Passion

• communicAtion

• taLent

• huMility

• friEndship

• dIscipline

• Respect

• Assurance

• valueS

It wasn’t just motivational fluff. Abel and his staff were deliberate in using these words to anchor the team’s identity.

“Football is not only about tactics and technique,” Abel has said. “It’s about passion, discipline, respect. If we have those things, we can achieve anything.”

More Than Physical Performance

After his first match in charge, Abel and his staff were deeply satisfied—but not mainly because of tactical execution.

“What pleased us the most were the physical and mental dimensions of the players,” Abel shared later. “The values and behaviours we’d asked for in that pre-match talk were visible on the pitch.”

In other words, it wasn’t just about how players passed or pressed. It was about how they competed, how they supported each other, how they showed discipline and belief.

For Abel, no tactical plan could succeed unless the players gave everything—physically, emotionally, and collectively.

Breaking Down Mental Walls

Another of Abel’s early missions at Palmeiras was to break the invisible mental barrier between starters and substitutes—a line that exists in almost every squad. Players know who’s in the starting eleven, who’s on the fringes, and who’s fighting for a spot. That hierarchy, Abel believed, could become toxic if left unchecked.

So he implemented four key strategies:

• One Group, One Family
  Abel preached that everyone mattered, from star players to reserves. The group’s strength was in unity, not individuals.

• The Team Is the Star
  Individual ambitions were secondary. The real star was the team, and collective goals outweighed personal achievements.

• No Divided Training Sessions
  Abel refused to separate starters from substitutes during training. Everyone trained together. Everyone was prepared to play.

• Late Team Announcements
  In most cases, Abel withheld his starting lineup until two hours before kick-off, only revealing it during the pre-match talk. It was his way of ensuring every player stayed mentally ready—because, as he put it:

  “Even in the sky, the stars are together.”

The Results on the Pitch

The result of this approach was more than just a tactical system coming to life. It was a team that played with commitment, resilience, and collective spirit. Players ran harder, fought for each other, and showed the humility and discipline Abel demanded.

In those first matches, the tactics mattered, of course. But the real foundation was laid elsewhere: in the hearts and minds of the players.

Because for Abel Ferreira, football starts with passion, humility, and unity—and from there, the football takes care of itself.