Cássio opens up on depression and why he ended his spell at Corinthians | OneFootball

One of the biggest idols in Corinthians history, Cássio spoke again about the final months of his time at Parque São Jorge and the reasons that led him to leave the club in May 2024. In an interview with Charla Podcast, the goalkeeper revealed that he was dealing with depression during that period and said he turned down an offer to renew for two more seasons because he felt he could no longer contribute to the team the way he wanted to.

The departure brought to an end a journey of more than 12 years in the black-and-white shirt. Even though the board wanted him to stay, Cássio chose to bring his contract to an early end — it was valid until December 2024 — and later joined Cruzeiro.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca / Agência Corinthians

Addressing the criticism he received over the way he left the club, the goalkeeper explained that the situation internally was different from what people on the outside perceived.

“I was depressed when I left Corinthians. I got to a point where I had to seek help, go to therapy, see a psychiatrist, and take medication,” Cássio revealed.

Accumulated wear and tear weighed on the decision

According to Cássio, there was no specific episode that led to the end of his spell. The goalkeeper linked the decision to the buildup of situations he had faced over the last few years, including criticism and the run of difficult seasons Corinthians had gone through.

After more than a decade at the club, the No. 12 admitted he had started to find it harder to deal with the pressure surrounding his performances.

“I think it was the overall context. I lost some of my ability to handle the criticism and the things that were happening,” he explained.

The moment also changed the way the goalkeeper viewed his contribution within the squad. Cássio said that, given the situation he was living through at the time, he no longer believed he was able to add to Corinthians the way he wanted.

“At that moment, I don’t think I could be there contributing anymore,” he said.

Corinthians offered a two-year renewal

Despite the situation, the club’s board still tried to extend the goalkeeper’s stay. Cássio said that after receiving an offer from Cruzeiro, Corinthians presented a proposal to renew his contract for two more seasons.

Augusto Melo, the club’s president at the time, also made it clear to the player that he wanted him to stay.

“Augusto made it very clear to me: ‘As long as I’m here, I want you here,’” he recalled.

Cássio, however, decided not to extend his time there. The goalkeeper said Corinthians were transparent during the talks and that he himself told the then-president that he no longer considered himself capable of helping the club at that moment.

“Corinthians were very honest with me. I told the president: ‘I can’t help you anymore. I’m not managing to help,’” he said.

The parties then reached an agreement for an early termination. Cássio officially left Corinthians in May 2024 and moved to Cruzeiro.

His last match in the black-and-white shirt had come against Argentinos Juniors in the Copa Sudamericana. After the defeat, the goalkeeper had already spoken publicly about the difficult moment he was going through and even mentioned the possibility of leaving the club.

Save against Vasco marked his career

Besides detailing his farewell, Cássio revisited one of the moments that helped shape his story at Corinthians. The goalkeeper pointed to his save from Diego Souza’s shot against Vasco in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Libertadores as the biggest of his career.

In the play, the Vasco forward broke through one-on-one with the goal, but Cássio managed to keep the ball out. The goalkeeper revealed that the intervention did not happen by chance and explained that similar situations were repeated in training with Mauri Lima, Timão’s goalkeeping coach at the time.

“It is (the save of my career). Because we went on to win the Libertadores — Corinthians were obsessed with winning the Libertadores. But I had made that save a thousand times in training. When I arrived at Corinthians, Mauri Lima helped me a lot — he’s at Grêmio now. He told me to use speed and reach in training,” he began.

Cássio also detailed how the work done on the eve of matches operated.

“Every eve of a game, he’d do 20 balls. Save, roll the ball to him. He’d come toward me and shoot, and I had to save it. It was like going one-on-one with an attacker. Every eve, every eve. I did that drill a thousand times to make one save,” Cássio added.

Corinthians eliminated Vasco and went on to win the Libertadores for the first time, unbeaten. Months later, the team also lifted the Club World Cup by beating Chelsea 1-0 in Japan.

Idol status reached a new level after 2012

The achievements of that season also changed the scale of Cássio’s relationship with the Fiel. More reserved by nature, the goalkeeper said he began experiencing situations he had never imagined before the starring role he played in the continental campaign and at the Club World Cup.

“After that save, I’m a calmer, more reserved guy, but I’d go to the mall and people would kneel down, kiss my hand, out on the street. I went on a Serginho Groisman show after the Club World Cup, and Luísa Possi knelt down and kissed my hand. I didn’t understand any of it. Corinthians fans are very passionate,” he added.

The 2012 season started a run of trophies for Cássio at Parque São Jorge. During his time there, the goalkeeper was also part of the title-winning squads for the 2013 Recopa Sudamericana, the 2015 and 2017 Brazilian Championships, and the 2013, 2017, 2018, and 2019 São Paulo State Championships.

Cássio’s numbers for Corinthians

Cássio ended his spell with Timão with 712 matches, 710 of them as a starter. He recorded 316 wins, 217 draws, and 179 defeats, as well as three assists.

The goalkeeper won nine titles during the more than 12 years he played for Corinthians: the 2012 Libertadores and Club World Cup, the 2013 Recopa Sudamericana, the 2015 and 2017 Brazilian Championships, and the 2013, 2017, 2018, and 2019 São Paulo State Championships.

In total, Cássio was involved in 11 finals for the club, with seven of them ending in titles. His journey at Parque São Jorge came to an end in 2024, even with the possibility of renewing his contract, after the player himself concluded that he needed to close that chapter at that point in his career.

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