Corinthians boss rues Derby defeat, hits out at refereeing

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Central do Timão

·9 February 2026

Corinthians boss rues Derby defeat, hits out at refereeing

By Henrique Vigliotti/ Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians was defeated 1-0 by Palmeiras in a match valid for the seventh round of the 2026 Paulista Championship at the Neo Química Arena, and after the game, coach Dorival Jr gave a press conference.

Starting off, the coach complained about the refereeing in the incident where Andreas Pereira damaged the penalty spot before Memphis Depay's missed kick: “On the field, we have four referees and several observers. That's their problem. If that happened, the issue is with the refereeing. It's hard to analyze that.”

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Photo: Henrique Vigliotti/ Central do Timão

Dorival praised Corinthians' attitude, stating that despite the defeat, the team played well against their rival: “The team was good, whole, playing in the opponent's field. We created, dominated the match. What we needed was to speed up the passing, switch sides of the play, and keep creating as we did. Palmeiras succeeded in one play. In a sprint, they reached our goal.”

The coach also complained about his team's lack of efficiency, which according to him has been occurring since the 2025 season: “It's not a lack of training. It's not a lack of willingness either. We showed offensive organization. Finishing is a bit beyond the context of guidance. It's a final touch, a move, a feint... All of this depends on the moment of the play. It's natural that it goes through the athlete's balance on the field. But we will reach that moment and improve in this aspect.”

Corinthians returns to the field next Thursday (12), against Red Bull Bragantino, at the Neo Química Arena, in a match valid for the third round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship.

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