the hero of winning the third Libertadores do Palmeiras he’s only at the club because he stamped his foot. Alviverde’s initial idea was to negotiate Deyverson. That was his manager’s suggestion. But Deyverson didn’t want to leave.
“He loves Palmeiras, man. It’s not lip service, no. In Europe, he always found a way to watch the games. And it infected us all,” he told the UOL Sport Anderson Brum, brother of the Palmeiras forward. “He had a market in Portugal, but he wanted to stay, he wanted to stay in Brazil and play for Palmeiras,” he revealed.
At Palmeiras, Deyverson was not necessarily the first option either. The coaching staff, for example, had a better assessment of striker Miguel Borja, who now plays on loan at Grêmio. Not that there was a dilemma—”one or the other.” But if there was, Abel’s choice would be Colombian.
But Borja was a card out of the deck. According to the report of the UOL Sport revealed in July, the Colombian was seen more as a problem than a solution, given his high salary. There was no argument to sensitize the board to change its mind.
Deyverson plays on Diego Alves’ departure to score Palmeiras’s goal in overtime against Flamengo in the Libertadores final
Image: EITAN ABRAMOVICH / AFP
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Deyverson is enlightened
Predestined, Deyverson had noted in the last victory of Palmeiras over Flamengo, in the distant year of 2017, by 2-1, by Brasileirão. The winning goal against Fla in Montevideo was his first in this year’s Libertadores, his fifth this year and his 30th in the club’s shirt. And certainly the most important part of his career.
“Very happy for that goal, [quero agradecer] first to God, for all he provided. Many people did not believe that Deyverson could come in and score. I don’t want quantity, I want quality. It’s the second title goal, in 2018 and now. Many crucified when I arrived, asked who this guy is. But many also believed,” he said.
25 years old from Rio de Janeiro, Deyverson was hired in July 2017, coming from Alavés (ESP). After two seasons, he entered the negotiable list and ended up on loan back to Spanish football. He defended Getafe and the same Alavés again. He returned to Palmeiras last May and was reinstated to the cast after a long deliberation by the board and the coaching staff.
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