Diniz praises Corinthians, defends same XI: “Not just bone and muscle” | OneFootball

Coach Fernando Diniz left the pitch at Neo Química Arena pleased with what he saw from Corinthians in the 2-0 win over Santa Fe last Wednesday, in the second round of the Copa Libertadores group stage. Even with little time on the job, the manager highlighted the sense of constant improvement surrounding the squad and praised the positive result, which came from two set-piece plays.

“I’ve been working on everything you can imagine, even with little time. A lot of video, we prioritized the defensive side and little by little started adding some ideas of combination play, and today you could already see a bit more of that. Yesterday we worked a little more on set pieces, although the team already had a very good range there. I’m making use of what Dorival and Ramón [Díaz] left here from their work. We’ve been working intensely, and the players have responded really well,” the coach assessed.

“It’s a team that is very eager to grow and learn new things. That’s a positive point. This willingness to absorb what I have to pass on, and I’m very eager to communicate quickly so things can flow in a positive way,” he added.

Corinthians failed to create many chances in the first half, when they forced too much play through the middle. In the second half, at the coach’s request, Timão found more space and created opportunities, earning corners and free kicks that ended in goals by Raniele and Gustavo Henrique, respectively.

“I’m not a guy who limits himself to the tactical side. The hallmark of my work is commitment, the will to win, a team that gradually gains confidence to play, and then you look at the tactical side afterward. Bidon played in different ways today depending on what the game asked for. That was something we worked on during the week. In training, we positioned things and showed how to play against defensive lines, which was a possibility today. Having Bidon drift wide and leaving Kayke inside was to give us more width and a bit more crossing and pace. Corinthians have already been a team that combines well since last year. Today’s game called for more play down the flanks, and we managed to vary it. Obviously some things are still missing, but the range of options has already improved,” Diniz analyzed.

Repeated lineup

Diniz once again named the same Corinthians lineup for the match against Santa Fe. The coach chose the same starting 11 from his first two games in charge of Timão and justified the decision, suggesting that he values, above all, behavioral aspects, and not only the data provided by the physiology department.

This was the first time a Corinthians coach fielded the same lineup three matches in a row since 2021, when Sylvinho was still in charge of the black-and-white side.

“I have a different way of thinking from most people about this. I respect physiological data a lot, but a player isn’t just bone and muscle, there are other more important things, the way players connect with each other. If there weren’t suspended players, there would be a chance of repeating it a fourth time. Injuries during poor performance have a biological component, but there are other components that are ignored because they aren’t quantified: fear, courage, joy, enthusiasm, things you can’t measure. Those are the things that interest me most. You can get closer to getting that right through your connection with the players, by asking and respecting them. There’s the part that measures and the part that feels, for me. And football, to me, is more about feeling than measuring, never disregarding what physiology provides, but integrating other components to make the best decisions,” he explained.

Diniz defends André

The coach also took the opportunity to come to the defense of midfielder André, who was sent off for an obscene gesture in the draw against Palmeiras in the Brazilian Championship last Sunday. The player was even fined 10% of his salary in recent days.

“I wanted to say something you’re not going to ask me about. It’s this: André’s incident against Palmeiras, when I saw the image, I didn’t think he had done it [on purpose]. It has nothing to do with Allan. It’s good for us to say that because he’s a young kid and it’s not in his nature. His career will show that he doesn’t have that kind of behavior. The ball hit him in the groin and it hurt, so he put his hand there, but it wasn’t to provoke anyone,” he said.

“I really trust what he told me. He didn’t make an offensive gesture at anyone. He’s a golden kid, barely even opens his mouth at the training ground, and he has a brilliant future ahead of him, so it’s good to protect him. If he had done it, I would never say so, because that would be the best way to protect him. When you do something like that, you deserve to be checked and called out, but in his case, that’s not what happened. I truly vouch for what he told me today. He’s so humble that he didn’t question the referee, he was embarrassed to argue and react more forcefully,” Diniz concluded.

Fernando Diniz’s Corinthians now return to action this weekend. Timão visit Vitória this Saturday at 8 p.m. (Brasília time) at Barradão, in the 12th round of the Brazilian Championship.

League table situation

With the result, Corinthians maintained a 100% record in the Libertadores, with two wins from two matches under Diniz. Timão reached six points, pulled clear at the top of Group E, and also ended a winless run at the Arena that had already lasted more than two months.

Corinthians’ next matches

Vitória x Corinthians (12th round of the Brazilian Championship) Date and time: 04/18 (Saturday), at 8 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Barradão, in Salvador (BA)

Barra-SC x Corinthians (first leg of the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil) Date and time: 04/21 (Tuesday), at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Ressacada, in Florianópolis (SC)

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.