David Luiz defended his Flamengo teammate Andreas Pereira on Saturday after the loanee from Manchester United made a decisive mistake in their 2-1 defeat by Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores final.
Pereira was caught in possession 30 yards from goal by Deyverson, who drove on to score the winning goal five minutes into extra time at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo.
But Luiz, who arrived at Flamengo in September after years spent at Benfica, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, said the 25-year-old midfielder was not the reason that Flamengo failed to win their second Libertadores - South America's equivalent of the Champions League - in three years.
“That’s football,” Luiz said. “He was having a great game, playing fantastic, and then in one move it all comes crashing down. The only thing I said to him was that no matter how much people will analyse that moment, we didn’t lose the game because of that.”
“Our vision has to be deeper and broader than that analysis, especially with a great player like Andreas. I’m very sad because he is a great friend, a great player and sad because he deserves more, sad because we deserved more.”
Luiz’s explanation was understandable and came after goalkeeper Diego Alves also defended Pereira, saying "Victory is ours [as a team] and defeat is too."
Luiz, though, was not alone in believing Flamengo were unlucky in a game where they spent more time than their opponents going forward.
Flamengo had around two-thirds of possession and the same with attempts on goal but fell behind to a Raphael Veiga strike after five minutes and although they were the better side in the second half and scored through Gabriel Barbosa after 72 minutes, they lost to Deyverson’s opportunist goal early in extra time.
“We need to have the humility to recognise that Palmeiras came with a strategy of playing on the counter attack, to take advantage of our errors, and that is what happened,” said the defender. “They’re not here for the second year in a row for nothing.”
The result means Palmeiras become the first team since Boca Juniors in 2001 to win back-to-back Libertadores titles.
It also means the Sao Paulo club are the seventh and final team confirmed for next year's Fifa Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi.
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)
Lazio v Napoli (9pm)
Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)
Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)
Torino v Bologna (6pm)
Verona v Genoa (9pm)
Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)
Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
GRAN%20TURISMO
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'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
The biog
Favourite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Favourite holiday destination: Spain
Favourite film: Bohemian Rhapsody
Favourite place to visit in the UAE: The beach or Satwa
Children: Stepdaughter Tyler 27, daughter Quito 22 and son Dali 19
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Persuasion
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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