Philadelphia, June 28 -- Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira has defended Chelsea-bound forward Estevao after the teenager admitted his imminent move is affecting his focus.
Estevao, widely seen as one of Brazil's brightest talents, admitted earlier this week that he felt "anxious" about leaving and that it had been difficult to stay "100 percent focused" on Palmeiras.
The remarks drew criticism, prompting Ferreira to launch a passionate defense of the 18-year-old on Friday.
"Sometimes, you [the press] need to have a little more empathy," he told reporters on the eve of Palmeiras' FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 match against Brazilian rivals Botafogo.
"If we all made an effort to put ourselves in his shoes, having turned 18 a few ...