The manager of Brazil side Palmeiras has hit out at Erik ten Hag after the Manchester United boss complained about the English football’s congested fixture list.
United beat Everton 2-0 last Saturday to aid their chances of finishing in the Premier League top four, but it came at a cost as star player Marcus Rashford limped off injured in the second-half.
The England forward is expected to be out for the next few weeks, with Ten Hag blaming the injury on: ‘The schedule. It can’t be you play three games in six days. We have to protect our players.
‘Everyone wants the best players on the pitch, everyone wants to see great entertaining football like today but then you need your best players.’
Ten Hag is certainly not the first manager to have bemoaned the intensity of the football calendar in the UK, with his Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp being a frequent critic.
However, it is the Dutchman’s words that have earned the ire of Palmeiras boss Abel Ferreira, who claimed that the situation was much worse in Brazil, saying via ESPN Brazil: ‘Football here has fantastic things… But there are others that are inhuman.
‘Nine games in one month! The Manchester United coach complained the other day that Rashford was injured due to the sequence of games he has.
‘I’d like to ask him or tell him, “In these next two months, I’m going to have nine games a month…” Shut up, because you don’t know what you say.’
Ferreira’s comments came on Sunday, just after his side had won the Paulista Championship, a sort of mimi-league held prior to the Brazil Serie A season that starts in April.
It is true that clubs in South America have a lot of games, with Palmeiras playing 72 in total in 2022.
And even after progressing deep into all four competitions, United fall short of that number, with the Red Devils set to play 65 games this season should they reach the finals of both the FA Cup and Europa League.
Up next for Ten Hag’s side is the first-leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla on Thursday.
MORE : Erik ten Hag ‘ready’ for Manchester United clear out with up to 13 players to be sold
MORE : Enzo Fernandez admits he’s ‘still adjusting’ to life at Chelsea following record-breaking transfer
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
