Rival supporters have enjoyed mocking Palmeiras but their results in Qatar show how far Brazilian football has fallen
By Tom Sanderson for Yellow and Green Football
Life comes at you fast in Brazilian football. A week ago, Palmeiras fans were celebrating after their team had beaten Santos in an all-Brazilian Copa Libertadores final at the Maracanã. Now their club is the butt of all jokes. Their shock 1-0 defeat to Tigres in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup has produced a rare moment of unity among rival fans. Supporters of past global kings, such as Corinthians, São Paulo, Santos, Internacional, Grêmio and Flamengo, are ganging up on Palmeiras with relish, repeating the popular refrain “Palmeiras não tem Mundial”.
Not only did Palmeiras fail to win the Club World Cup – which was hardly expected given that the all-conquering Bayern Munich were awaiting in the final – but they also made a meal of the third-place match, losing to Al Ahly on penalties after a goalless 90 minutes. Their failure to win a game, or even score a goal, in the competition is being called a vexame back home – a commonly used term for shame or humiliation in Brazil.
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