Gustavo Henrique hails progress, Memphis return, Corinthians milestone | OneFootball

Corinthians secured a spot in the Copa do Brasil round of 16 by beating Barra 1-0 at Neo Química Arena last Thursday (14). After qualifying, center-back Gustavo Henrique spoke to the press and addressed different topics surrounding the club’s current moment, from the run of the season to issues involving Fernando Diniz, Memphis Depay, and his son joining Timão’s youth academy.

Besides qualification, the match also marked a special date for the defender, who reached the milestone of 100 games wearing the Corinthians shirt. Number 13 valued the achievement and highlighted how difficult it is to reach expressive numbers at a club the size of Timão.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

“Oh, I believe so. We always dream of coming here and achieving important things, and first of all I’m very grateful to God for this achievement. It’s the result of hard work every day, and I’m very happy with this milestone, a very difficult one at a huge club like this, so it’s not easy. I’m very grateful and I hope to keep reaching 150, 200, 300 games and represent this shirt well.”

The defender also commented on the importance of qualifying against Barra and stressed that the squad took the matchup seriously, even against an opponent considered less prominent nationally.

“We know that the Copa do Brasil is a very tricky competition. We saw that there were big teams that got knocked out, so we focused a lot on this game. We knew it was going to be complicated because Barra are a very organized team, they came with a formation totally different from what we trained for, and that ended up making things a bit harder, making the game tighter and slower. They managed to have a good first half.”

“In the second half we changed our approach a bit. They also got a little tired, they made some changes that started to open up the game, and we began creating more chances. But the main thing was qualification, and we managed to achieve that objective.”

Asked about outside pressure in games against teams from lower divisions, Gustavo acknowledged that Corinthians always take the field with the obligation to win, but highlighted the competitiveness of the Copa do Brasil.

“When we play against smaller teams, the media and the fans say it’s an obligation. In our minds, I believe it has to be too, because we represent a huge club. With all due respect to Barra, we knew it would be a complicated match. I even congratulated coach Bernardo, who I worked with. It’s a very organized team, they’re in Série C and having a good campaign too. There are no easy games. We saw bigger teams being eliminated by lower-division sides. The most important thing was to show Barra a lot of respect and get this qualification.”

Even with qualification well on track in the Libertadores and already secured in the Copa do Brasil, the center-back said the squad remains fully focused on the next commitments before the break for the World Cup.

“We’re not thinking too much about the second half of the season. We’re thinking about the next games we still have. We want to finish well, because we know our situation in the Brasileirão is still delicate. Of course, it does bring more peace of mind to already be qualified, but here you’re expected to win all the time.”

Another topic addressed was the return of Memphis Depay, who is still recovering physically. Gustavo praised the Dutch forward’s behavior on a daily basis and highlighted the importance of number 10 for the squad.

“He shows desire, he’s a super easygoing guy in daily life. We know how important he is. He’s a completely different player, a guy who makes a difference on and off the pitch. I hope he recovers well, because we know we need a very strong squad to keep progressing in the competitions.”

The center-back also commented on Fernando Diniz’s intense profile and the way the squad deals with the coach’s demands, especially after the discussion between the manager and Gabriel Paulista during the match.

“It’s even funny, right? We try to calm things down there. Like you said, I try to avoid friction as much as possible, but if it happens, it’s part of football. They’re two people with very similar, explosive personalities, and I think that’s part of football. When we talk, we know it’s not meant badly, it’s to improve our team. We players have to understand that, understand that it’s his way, a kind of demand that makes us improve on the pitch. I think it’s valid, and I’m there to calm things down if needed.”

Lastly, Gustavo Henrique spoke about his son, who is now joining Corinthians’ youth academy. The defender asked people to know how to separate his own career from the boy’s journey within the club.

“It’s a very good feeling. I just hope people know how to differentiate my career from his. My story is one, his is another. He’s going to chase his own goals, his own dreams, and I hope that never gets in the way. A lot of times people say he’s only there because of his father, but no. It’s because of his quality and his dream. As a father, I’m very proud and I’ll give him all the support he needs to achieve that dream.”

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