Corinthians legend: Fiel Torcida key in Copa do Brasil

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Central do Timão

·27. November 2025

Corinthians legend: Fiel Torcida key in Copa do Brasil

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

On December 10 and 14, Corinthians and Cruzeiro will face off in the semifinals of the 2025 Copa do Brasil. The first match will take place on a Wednesday at Mineirão, at 9:30 PM (Brasília time). The second, in turn, will be at Neo Química Arena, on a Sunday, at 6:00 PM.

In an exclusive interview with Itatiaia, former midfielder and now coach Danilo stated that the main asset of the Alvinegro in the national knockout tournament is the Corinthians fanbase. He believes Cruzeiro is in a better moment, indicating favoritism for the opponent.

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“We need to talk about the moment. Of course, I spent many years at Corinthians, I have a great affection, you become a fan of the club. If we look at the moment, Cruzeiro is doing very well. The team has been playing very well, is playing very well. They are in sync.”

“But there’s also the other side, Corinthians has a heavy shirt. When it comes to decision time, they rise to the occasion. The fans embrace the club. If you look at the moment, Cruzeiro is better. Since it’s a knockout, Corinthians comes in very strong because of the fans. It helps, the team gets stronger. They will be two great matches,” he began.

As a player, Danilo wore the Corinthians shirt between 2010 and 2018 and took part in most of the club’s rebuilding period after relegation to Série B in 2008. In total, he scored 35 goals in 359 games, winning nine titles: Brasileirão (2011, 2015, and 2017), Paulistão (2013, 2017, and 2018), Conmebol Libertadores (2012), Club World Cup (2012), and Recopa Sudamericana (2013).

Additionally, Danilo also worked with Corinthians’ youth teams between 2021 and 2024. He initially took charge of the U-23 team, which was later disbanded. The following year, he took over the U-20s, where he was runner-up in both the national and state championships, losing to Palmeiras and Santos, respectively, in the finals.

In 2023, he reached the semifinals of the U-20 Brasileirão. Then, in January 2024, he won the São Paulo Cup (11th title), defeating Cruzeiro in the final in Itaquera. About four months later, he was dismissed after a string of poor results in the category.

Recently, after a period without a club, he took over as head coach of Pouso Alegre, from Minas Gerais, which will compete in the first division of the Campeonato Mineiro and Série D in 2026. To Itatiaia, he commented on his experience leading the “Filhos do Terrão” and his goal of managing a professional team.

“I spent three and a half years at Corinthians, one year with the U-23s and two and a half years with the U-20s. Last year, we won the Copinha, I was the coach. From there, I was already expecting an opportunity with the professional team. We were watching and probing the opportunities that might arise at the time. The proposal from Pouso Alegre matched what I was thinking: a very competitive championship like the Mineiro, great visibility, which for me is among the four most difficult in Brazil”, he concluded.

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