Corinthians boss: Alisson, transfers, regrets missed chances

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Central do Timão

·29. Januar 2026

Corinthians boss: Alisson, transfers, regrets missed chances

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

On the night of this Wednesday (28), Corinthians hosted Bahia at Vila Belmiro in a match valid for the first round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship and ended up being defeated by a score of 2-1. The goal for the Alvinegro was scored by midfielder Breno Bidon early in the first half. The setback left the Corinthians team in 16th place, still without any points.

Shortly after the final whistle, coach Dorival Júnior gave a press conference and spoke about the team's difficulties in converting the high number of chances created into goal opportunities. He also emphasized that the scenario of tonight's match is the same as the last edition of the Brasileirão, where the team often performed well but failed to achieve good results. Last year, the Alvinegro finished only in 13th place with 47 points.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

“It's a storyline we already know: last year, we had several games like this, creating a lot but failing to close out the match. We ended up being punished for specific errors that cost us a better position. I hope this doesn't happen again. We need to correct these mistakes, understanding that it's just the beginning, but knowing that every start requires special care,” he began.

The coach also highlighted the short preseason time the team had to explain the physical aspects of Corinthians at the start of the season. The Alvinegro finished 2025 only on December 21, when they won the Brazilian Cup for the fourth time, against Vasco, at Maracanã. Dorival also stated that the changes in the second half were made to preserve some players for the Brazilian Super Cup final next Sunday (1), at 4 pm (Brasília time), against Flamengo, at Mané Garrincha, in Brasília.

“I understand that we were one of the teams that prepared the least; we and Vasco had 15 fewer days than the others. Without a proper preseason, we are rotating the squad to find the best lineup for Sunday. Today, my substitutions were not technical or tactical, but to preserve the players. I'm sure we'll have a strong team for the decision,” he continued.

Dorival Júnior also noted that the team's lack of efficiency in the match against Bahia cannot be repeated throughout this season. As mentioned earlier, in 2025, the coach commented that the Alvinegro couldn't achieve a better position in the Brasileirão precisely because of the difficulties in converting their game volume into goals.

“What happened today is a repetition of last year. We had volume, dominance, passing exchanges, and ball possession, but we failed to finish the games. This cannot happen again this season; hence the concern and attention need to be doubled. We cannot allow this to become routine, as happened last year when we lost the chance for a better placement, consistent with what we produced. Today's game was a clear example of this, almost identical to the match against Bahia last year. It's the same script of a movie we already know,” he added.

The Corinthians coach was asked about the conditions of the Vila Belmiro pitch, which he praised. However, he noted the low time of active play: “We had a pitch that favored and allowed for a great game. What really needs to concern us is that, in 102 minutes of the match, we only had 52 minutes of active play. This is something we need to analyze seriously.”

“And this is not a criticism for criticism's sake. I just want us to improve the active play time, because it's impossible to have only 52 minutes of effective play in a total of 102. This is what we need to worry about. We have already tried and are doing our part to improve this. This is a fundamental point for the development and quality of any match,” he stated.

He was then asked about the search for reinforcements and said he still expects to receive six more players to have an 'ideal squad' to rotate the team properly, as he mentioned. In this transfer window, the Alvinegro has already announced the arrivals of defender Gabriel Paulista, right-back Pedro Milans, and midfielder Matheus Pereira. Forward Kaio César is another signing and is about to be announced.

“I hope to receive the six (elements). To have a squad that can respond in all competitions, especially in a long-term championship, five or six elements are necessary. We have gaps and need to be aware of that. I can't rotate the squad because I still don't have players who complement and match each other at the same level. What I need is, first, to create constant competition for positions and, second, to have players who arrive and maintain the same condition as those who are playing, whether on Wednesday or Sunday. We need to introduce more internal competition in the team,” he added.

The Corinthians coach also commented that Corinthians consulted the situations of midfielder Gérson, who recently left Zenit, Russia, and transferred to Cruzeiro, as well as forward Malcom, who was revealed in Corinthians' youth categories and is currently at Al-Hilal, Saudi Arabia. However, the coach stated that, at the moment, these are names that are not within the Alvinegro's financial reality.

“I'm sure that with a more complete squad, the situation will be different. That's why we're fighting for reinforcements. When we talk about signings, we went after Gerson, Malcom, and other important players. But we need to be aware: this is not our shelf at the moment. I also like very good things, but we need to understand the reality.”

Later, the Corinthians coach recalled the team's performance last season, mentioning that the team struggled when they had many absences and then started managing the situation of some players prioritizing the Brazilian Cup – which the club from Parque São Jorge would win days later.

“Last year, when we had a team with a defined standard, it responded. You noticed that. But when there was a need for many changes, we faced great difficulties. And this happened for a long period because we lost many players. The main players were out for a long time, and we suffered throughout the championship. The final placement was largely due to everything that happened.”

“In the final phase, naturally, we ended up managing what was most important for all of us: the decisions, the four decisive games of the Brazilian Cup after the Brazilian Championship. It is natural, therefore, that in the last games, the performance was not as positive, even in matches where the team deserved better results, like today's game, which ended up not happening. That's why the campaign unfolded this way.”

Finally, he commented that midfielder Alisson, 32, who belongs to São Paulo and worked with him at the Morumbi team in 2023, is unlikely to reinforce Corinthians. To complete the loan, Corinthians would need to pay R$ 1 million upfront, an amount that has been a stumbling block in the negotiations.

“I'm sorry because he's a guy who still has qualities, yes. He has a lot of fuel to burn, a lot to work on. He's a player who was very important to me. He had a characteristic that I needed, but it didn't happen. I regret that. It's a shame, but we need to look forward and seek what is within our reach. If it wasn't this way, that day I only mentioned him because we were almost certain that everything was closed and finalized. That's why I ended up mentioning the player,” he concluded.

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