Corinthians defender on debut goal, hails young talent

In partnership with

Central do Timão

·12 January 2026

Corinthians defender on debut goal, hails young talent

By Daniel Keppler / Central do Timão Editorial Team

On the afternoon of this Sunday (11), Corinthians took to the field for the first time in the 2026 season! Playing at the Neo Química Arena, the People's Team hosted Ponte Preta for the first round of the Paulista Championship, and even missing key players from the starting lineup, they controlled the game and won 3-0. The goals were scored by Gustavo Henrique, André Luiz, and André Ramalho, all in the second half.

After the match, defender André Ramalho spoke to the press in the mixed zone, where he recalled a difficult family situation that motivated him to score a goal this Sunday. “I think it was one of the most beautiful. It's not easy to hit a shot from so far away like that. But I was lucky, God blessed me with today's goal. I prayed a lot to God to score a goal today because it's been a year since my father-in-law passed away, so let this goal be in honor of him, to my wife, who supported me so much during this time, who lives this mourning daily. And to thank and praise God for granting me the grace of today's goal.”

OneFootball Videos

Photo: Reproduction

The number 5 remembered that he often tries long-range shots for Corinthians: “We always try, right? Some were close, others went far. But, now and then, we get these crazy ideas, and we try to pull something out of the hat. And I'm happy that, finally, this ball went in. It's not the first, I've scored a few from outside the area. I'm happy it worked out, that I managed to score this goal. To be able to help the team. And I hope more will come.”

He also talked about the celebration with his teammates, where his hair was humorously pulled. “Yeah, the celebration is spontaneous, right? The guys like to pull my hair, you could see (laughs). But it's all in good fun, we're happy because they always tease me that I don't score goals. And I think that's why the celebration was so intense. Gustavo and I will always be trying to help the team, whether in defense or attack, but obviously, the priority is always defense”, he explained.

Then, André was asked about the young players in the squad, highlighting the quality of his teammates: “They have quality, they show it every day in training. But we know that everyone has been at the youth level. Everyone was once a kid. And we know that this process of playing ideally has to be done gradually. It has to be done with caution. It's not just about playing the kid every game, which sometimes is the best for him. Some will respond faster, others will respond more slowly.”

He continued on the subject. “It's up to us in the locker room to always give them as much confidence as possible. I think that's what we try to do. It's about giving them freedom, giving them confidence. The responsibility has to stay with the older ones, it has to stay with us. They have to play freely, play with ease so they can perform their best on the field. So, we're happy for them gaining this playing time, and we hope they continue to develop and help us as they have been doing”, he concluded.

See More: