Ireland's Brazilian enclaves geared up for seismic Copa Libertadores final

HAPPY FAMILY: Palmeiras Dublin fans will not be able to gather like in other years as they hope to defeat Santos in the Copa Libertadores final.

Santos will play a mouthwatering Copa Libertadores final Saturday evening with São Paulo rivals Palmeiras at the Maracanã Stadium, the home of football in Brazil.

Ordinarily, the ripples would be felt 5,000 miles away in Ireland, with the close-knit Brazilian community here invariably gathering in huge numbers for the South American showpiece.

Covid will put paid to any collective outpourings of Samba exuberance. But the buzz remains palpable ahead of a battle for the prestigious club trophy that brings two sides from Brazil’s Serie A together for the first time since 2006.

In case the stakes could not get any higher, the game will also be a Clássico da Saudade, one of the most heated and vibrant derbies in world football.

Patricia Dias is among the leaders of the Dublin Palmeiras supporters group, fans of Brazil’s most successful team, winners of 10 Série A titles, though their only Copa Libertadores crown came in 1999.

The club’s reach extends into every aspect of their lives, she says: “Our group is one massive family. We don’t just watch the games and go home. We help people find a home. We help people find a job. We give a friendly shoulder if someone is homesick and misses their family. I’m so proud of the group and support structures that we have built.”

Crowds of 400-plus used to regularly meet for big games in bars across Ireland, but while there will be none of that today, Dias says the passion remains the same.

“We’re very excited about the possibility of winning the biggest title in South America for a second time,” she said, “Unfortunately we won’t be able to celebrate and get together with the other Palmeiras fans like we used to. Otherwise, we would have a big party organised for the game.

“But I’m talking to my friends and family back home about the final every single day. Everyone is so excited and ready to go.”

Murilo Alves, one of the leaders of rival group, Santos Dublin, has likewise been counting down the seconds to the game. The 32-year old, who is originally from Minas Gerais, said: “I’m excited and I feel so lucky. This is my third Libertadores’ final as a supporter after 2004 and 2011. I’m 32 years old and nobody in Brazil at my age has seen their club get to the final three times.

“Our group has about 105 people in it and before Covid, we used to always meet up to watch games. In our group we are always talking about Santos and life in Ireland. We also help each other out by posting job listings in our WhatsApp group. We’re a small but friendly group.

“It’s going to be an interesting Clássico because in recent years we have both fought for a lot of trophies in Brazil. Playing each other in the Copa Libertadores will add to our special rivalry.”

Santos’ last success came in 2011 when a young Neymar led them to a 2-1 aggregate victory over Peñarol from Uruguay. That was the club’s third Copa and their first since Pelé inspired a 5-3 hammering of Boca Juniors in 1963.

Their main hope this year rests on the shoulders of 19-year-old Kaio Jorge, whose performances are being watched by European giants Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

“Kaio Jorge is just a teenager and only a few players in the history of Libertadores have won the competition at his age,” Alves said. “The fact that he is one of the competition’s top goal scorers is incredible. He actually started the season with a kind of distrust from Santos supporters, and now he is proving how good he is.”

Winning the Copa Libertadores will qualify Santos for the Fifa Club World Cup, the biggest tournament in club football for Brazilian football fans. Santos were world champions twice in their history, in 1962 and 1963, and their last intercontinental adventure ended in defeat against Barcelona in 2011.

Alves added: “The Club World Cup is the most important trophy for football fans in Brazil. It is always good to see our teams play against clubs from across the world. Should Santos win the Libertadores, they will go on to become world champions again.”

They might once have had the legendary Pele but even that guaranteed nothing in the Clássico da Saudade, Dias reminds us.

“When Pelé played for Santos, the only team that beat them regularly was Palmeiras.

“The game itself is going to be filled with tension. Both clubs know each other very well from the national and state leagues. Whoever wins will have their name forever in the history books of Brazilian football.”

There is a feeling that qualifying for the Club World Cup would be an even bigger landmark for Palmeiras. Despite their overflowing trophy cabinet, a world title is missing.

While they did win a non-Fifa recognised world club championship in 1951, the foot of Roy Keane ended their Intercontinental Cup quest in 1999. Winning the Club World Cup is the ultimate destination for Palmeiras and the journey begins on Saturday evening.

“The Club World Cup is huge in Brazil,” Dias explained, “It is the highest honour that a club can win and who doesn’t want to be recognised as the best team in the world?”