NFL-No green, no problem for Eagles as Brazil soccer rivalry shapes historic game

By Gabriel Araujo

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The Philadelphia Eagles will not be wearing their traditional green kit when they step foot into Sao Paulo's Corinthians Arena on Friday for Brazil's first-ever NFL game, despite being designated the home side against the Green Bay Packers.

The team decided to sport white jerseys, black pants and black helmets, a combo the Eagles themselves said fans have "never seen before," after several media reports about a colour conflict with the stadium's owner.

Brazilian soccer side Corinthians are not just black and white, but also despise green - the colour of their local arch-rivals Palmeiras. Their animosity runs so high that the club is known for not even letting players and staff wear green apparel.

Not having the chance to wear their home colours in their season opener, however, doesn't seem to be an issue for the Eagles.

"I really haven't looked too far into it. I know there is some history there, but I can't speak on it," quarterback Jalen Hurts told a press conference. "Just to have an opportunity to play the game and expose the game to you guys is fun."

On Thursday, when the presidents of Eagles and Corinthians - Don Smolenski and Augusto Melo - met at the Philadelphia team's practice session at the Corinthians Arena, they traded jerseys, and both were white.

The "forbidden" colour at the Corinthians stadium even seemed to confuse some players.

"They said that the part of Brazil we're going to, you can't even wear green at. They said, I guess, something to do with the gangs and stuff," Packers running back Josh Jacobs incorrectly told a podcast in June.

He later apologised, saying he was misinformed.

Not only can people wear green in Sao Paulo, but the Packers themselves will play on Friday in their home green-and-yellow kit. The Wisconsin side counts on the similarities with the colours of Brazil's flag to garner support.

"Hopefully, all our Brazilian fans will show up tomorrow and be cheering on the green and gold," head coach Matt LaFleur said on Thursday. "Hopefully, it's a home field advantage for us. It's been a great experience for us thus far."

The Packers got to practice at Corinthians' training ground ahead of the game and also promoted a jersey swap. The Brazilian club's goalkeeper, Hugo Souza, gave cornerback Jaire Alexander a white shirt - but in return got a green Packers jersey.

Corinthians fans protested on social media, saying it was strange to see their team's name written on a green kit. Palmeiras didn't miss the chance to rip their rivals off.

"There's no point: it's impossible to escape Verdao (the Big Green)," Sao Paulo's green side wrote on Instagram.

Corinthians and Palmeiras, whose rivalry dates back to the 1910s, are two of the most successful clubs in Brazilian soccer.

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Additional reporting by Leonardo Benassatto; Editing by Christian Radnedge)