- João Martins and Vítor Castanheira have been alongside Abel Ferreira since his early days as a manager in Portugal. They are part of a coaching staff that worked at Sporting, Braga and PAOK before joining Palmeiras and leading a golden era for the Brazilian club.
- With specific responsibilities for fitness, set-pieces and the team's tactical approach, both have become key figures in one of the most successful periods in the Verdão's history.
For more than a decade, they have shared training sessions, trips, decisions and challenges. A partnership that began in Portugal and found much more than a new destination at Palmeiras: Abel Ferreira and his coaching staff have fully understood the São Paulo club's identity, its values and its ambitions. Now they are targeting a third CONMEBOL Libertadores title together, with the Final against Estudiantes de La Plata set to take place in Montevideo on 28 November.
The coaching staff led by Abel Ferreira, the most successful manager in Palmeiras' history with eleven trophies, has a particular feature: all four of his assistants are also managers in their own right, and each has a specific role.
On the touchline, he shares the dugout with Vítor Castanheira, the direct link to the club's youth set-up, and João Martins, who, as fitness coach, is also responsible for the health and performance department. They are joined by Carlos Martinho and Tiago Costa, who specialise in analysing both their own team and their opponents from a higher vantage point in the stadium, offering a different perspective on the game.
Rather than surrounding himself with people who would simply follow his decisions, the Portuguese manager sought assistants with their own judgement and ideas. “They think differently from me and challenge me. I don't want people who always agree with me,” he explained when discussing his staff. The statement perfectly captures his approach to leading a project in which every member can offer a different perspective: building collectively, with every individual bringing their own value to the process.
Within this structure, Vítor Castanheira plays an important role in the team's attacking play. One of his main responsibilities is offensive set-pieces, an area Palmeiras have turned into a regular source of danger. João Martins, meanwhile, specialises in defensive set-pieces.
In the first leg of the semi-final against Fluminense, Palmeiras won 67.7% of their aerial duels: centre-backs Alexander Barboza (4/4) and Murilo (3/3) won every one of their challenges. Gustavo Gómez, the Verdão's captain and emblematic figure, also scored a header in the 1-0 win over Cerro Porteño in the second leg of the Round of 16, a result that secured the São Paulo side's progression. The goal also saw the Paraguayan become the first player in history to score in nine consecutive editions of the CONMEBOL Libertadores.
“This is not about my leadership, but our leadership. We always do everything together,” Abel Ferreira has often emphasised. In 2022, he and his coaching staff published the book Cool head, hot heart.
Palmeiras are now within reach of Eternal Glory for the third time during the Portuguese manager's tenure. The date is 28 November, when they face Estudiantes de La Plata at the Estadio Centenario, a venue that already witnessed the Verdão lift the trophy in 2021.
