Palmeiras head coach Abel Ferreira insists the Brazilian club can defeat Chelsea to win the Club World Cup despite the £516million difference between their respective squads.
The Blues are one of the richest clubs in world football and have invested heavily in the transfer market in recent seasons.
Romelu Lukaku was signed for £97.5million from Inter Milan last summer while Kai Havertz (£71m), Timo Werner (£49.5m), Hakim Ziyech (£33m) and Christian Pulisic (£60m) have also arrived within the last three years.
Palmeiras' squad has been put together on a far smaller budget – around £30million – but Ferreira is adamant that is no reason for the Brazilian club to feel inferior to the European champions when they meet in the final tomorrow evening.
“When it comes to pressure and favouritism, that’s only for you," Ferreira, speaking through an interpreter, explained at his pre-match press conference.
[Pep] Guardiola even said two days ago that one of the best teams in the world was Chelsea because they are the Champions League winners and have the right to be here.
“We’re talking about a team that is one of the favourites in any tournament they play. When they are in flow, they are winning, winning, winning.
"It's a team that that has spent €650m (£545m) to be in this competition. Palmeiras spent €35 (29m) but I believe – and my players believe – what will make a difference is our values: competitiveness, friendship, respect, mutual help, courage to be audacious, to defend without the ball, to impose our game in possession.
"This is what we’ll be betting on and it is the basis we can compare ourselves to our opponents. When it comes to favouritism, I’ll leave that to you guys. It’s good that you write about this because football is not just about what happens on the pitch. It involves a lot of people.
“Tomorrow’s match is one I am thankful to be involved in, our players as well. We will be confident on the pitch and our goal is to win. There is no other way to look at this match. One thing I have with me, and I’ve had with me for a long time, if I want to be the best, I have to beat the best.”
Chelsea have been buoyed this afternoon by the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in Abu Dhabi. The Blues head coach had been in self-isolation having tested positive for Covid last week but has now joined up with the squad in the UAE.
Having Tuchel back on the touchline will be hugely important for Chelsea; it's also something Ferreira admitted he wanted to happen ahead of tomorrow's final.
The German's presence on the sideline will not make Palmeiras task any easier. Yet Ferreira is confident his players can follow in the footsteps of Corinthians and shock Chelsea to win the Club World Cup.
He said: "Sometimes our minds are too busy with whether or not we will win the match. I don't know if we'll win, but I know what I have to do and the players know what they have to do.
"The players are mainly responsible for the match. We will do the same as we've done but maybe change two or three things.
"My job is to defend the players until death. I know that within the four lines, they will go in there and compete, enjoy the match, and they'll do everything to win.
"The consequences of that, whatever they are, I will face with all of them. I have faith that Palmeiras will be the winner again. We have a lot of work to and we will need a lot of focus, but it's not my plan, it's our plan."
