Corinthians appoint Fernando Diniz as head coach until December 2026 | OneFootball

Fernando Diniz has been appointed Corinthians head coach on a deal running to December 2026, replacing Dorival Júnior, who was sacked on Sunday.

According to Globo.com, the agreement was struck after swift talks. He will meet the squad at Tuesday's training session and take the bench on Thursday for the club's Conmebol Libertadores opener away to Platense in Argentina.

At CT Joaquim Grava, Diniz is tasked with restoring results and reviving the level shown in the decisive stages of last season's Copa do Brasil.

Corinthians' main shortfall is chance creation. The side have scored only five goals across their last nine matches, a winless sequence that led to Dorival Júnior's exit.

This season includes commitments in the Campeonato Brasileiro, the Copa do Brasil and the Conmebol Libertadores. The board believes the current squad is strong enough to fight for at least one more title in 2026.

Diniz rose to prominence in 2016 by taking modest Audax to the Campeonato Paulista final, then worked at Athletico-PR, Fluminense, Santos, São Paulo, Vasco and Cruzeiro.

In 2023, his standout year, he won the Libertadores with Fluminense and also led Brazil in six South American World Cup qualifiers.

Source: Globo.com