Bap admits fault in friction with Leila Pereira and explains obstacles for the new Brazilian football league.
Flamengo president Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as Bap, has opened up about his tense relationship with Leila Pereira, the head of Palmeiras.
In an interview with the Sports Market Makers podcast, the executive acknowledged that he bears some responsibility for the disagreements with his professional counterpart.
Bap stated, emphasizing that despite the differences, there is nothing personal against the Palmeirense institution:
Flamengo and Palmeiras don’t need to be friends, but they do need to sit at the table and discuss business as it should be done.
New League Stalled by Disagreements
The hostile climate between the presidents of Flamengo and Palmeiras has been a direct obstacle to the creation of a new league in Brazilian football.
While the Rubro-Negro aligned with the Libra group, the São Paulo club chose to withdraw. Bap highlighted the lack of mutual trust behind the scenes in meetings, noting that the disputes and the lack of respect hinder the progress of these projects.
The one who hits forgets, the one who gets hit never forgets
Bap lamented.
Gender and Rivalry in Football
Discussions regarding equal treatment in club meetings have also intensified the rivalry.
Bap guaranteed that he will not distinguish his treatment based on gender:
I will not treat someone who is rude or disrespectful differently because they are a woman. If you throw a stone at me, I will throw a stone back.
The conflict between the officials has extended to official statements and public provocations.
Recently, Flamengo alleged favoritism toward Palmeiras after Vitória suffered two red cards in the same play during the Copa do Brasil.
In response, Leila Pereira labeled the attitude as:
absurdly shameless
and recalled the final of the competition in which Flamengo emerged victorious, despite complaints from the Alviverde team regarding the officiating.
