Andreas Pereira says the training facilities at his current club, Palmeiras, are some of the best in the world, certainly better than those on offer at Manchester United when he was there.
The 29-year-old joined the Brazilian club over the summer from Fulham after three seasons with the west London club.
The Brazil international had previously been at Manchester United from 2011-22, although he had gone out on a string of loans to Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo.
The midfielder has experienced a range of different training facilities in his time in England, Spain, Italy and Brazil and thinks that his current club can boast the best.
Pereira chose to point out that when he says they are the best he has experienced, that includes Manchester United.
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‘Compared to what’s out there, it’s the elite of football,’ Pereira told ESPN Brasil of Palmeiras’ training facilities.
‘Few clubs have the structure Palmeiras has. I’ve worked for several big clubs in Europe, and I can say that Palmeiras has the best structure I’ve ever worked in. Better than Manchester United when I was there.’
Palmeiras certainly have the appropriate facilities to produce exciting young players, having sold a string of them to European teams in recent years.
Estevao is already making an impact at Chelsea this season, while Real Madrid’s Endrick, Manchester City’s Vitor Reis and West Ham’s Luis Guilherme all also came from the Brazilian club.
‘Palmeiras-produced players are moulded for all markets, mainly because of their versatility,’ Palmeiras youth academy coordinator Joao Paulo Sampaio told FIFA.
‘It’s mandatory here for everyone to be able to play at least three positions by the time they graduate from the academy
‘Estevao, for example, plays as a 10, but also on either wing. He’s played in all three positions. The same is true of Vitor Reis. He was a midfielder, then moved back into defensive midfield and then to centre-back.
‘We see Palmeiras as being like a school. You have to learn as much as possible so that when you go to university you can decide your profession.’
Manchester United’s training facilities may now have caught up with the Brazilian club somewhat after a £50m upgrade over the summer.
Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said: ‘Manchester United is one of the most recognised brands in the world. The club has to compete at the highest level.
‘A world-class training facility won’t take us to that position alone but one of the key ingredients is a modern facility. Now we have one.’
The training centre had come in for criticism, notably from Cristiano Ronaldo who was stunned that it had not changed when he returned to the club in 2021, having left in 2009.
‘Nothing changed, surprisingly. Not only the pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym. Even the kitchen, the chefs, whom I appreciate — lovely people. They stopped in time. It surprised me a lot,’ Ronaldo told Piers Morgan.
‘I thought I would see other things, technologies and infrastructure. Unfortunately, we see a lot of what I used to see at 21, 22 and 23 years old. It really surprised me.
‘Since Ferguson left, I haven’t seen an evolution at the club. Progress is zero. You have to tear it down and rebuild it. If they start with me, it’s not a problem.’
After the expensive upgrade over the summer, United full-back Diogo Dalot says there is no longer an excuse to succeed.
‘I think finally we’re getting to a level where this club deserves and now it’s up to us, on the pitch, to also match that standard,’ said Dalot.
‘If we’re talking about a club like Man United, we should have the best facilities in the world. The big thing that I like the most is now there’s going to be no excuses.’