Corinthians defender on Fifa break and the rest of the season | OneFootball

After two days off, Corinthians returned throughout this Wednesday (25) to training with an eye on the rest of the season, which will feature matches in the Brazilian Championship, the Conmebol Libertadores, and the Copa do Brasil throughout April. The club from Parque São Jorge will return to the pitch next Wednesday, April 1, at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), against Fluminense at Maracanã Stadium, for the ninth round of the national tournament.

The Corinthians squad began the day’s training with a strength session in the gym and a warm-up on the field. Afterwards, the group carried out a possession drill, as well as an attacking build-up exercise and a small-sided match on one of the fields at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Corinthians Agency

In an interview with Corinthians TV, center-back André Ramalho commented on the break for the first FIFA international window of 2026 and also looked ahead to the rest of the season. The defender also emphasized the importance of the players being in the best physical condition possible so they can contribute to the squad: “The FIFA window comes at a good time. We know that after this break there won’t be any real moment of rest. It comes at a good time so we can adjust and improve things that need to be improved for the rest of the season. Besides the Copa do Brasil and CONMEBOL Libertadores matches, there’s the Brazilian Championship, which is always difficult. We’re going to prepare in the best possible way to play these upcoming matches with our physical and mental sides more rested so we can get good results.”

“Everyone wants to play, everyone works for that. In moments like this, coach Dorival will need everyone. We’re happy. We’re going to prepare ourselves to deliver when we get opportunities. There will be so many matches that our focus will be on recovering and playing. Everyone will need to be doing well for us to perform in all competitions,” he said.

André Ramalho signed for Corinthians in the middle of 2024 after not renewing his contract with PSV of the Netherlands. The defender quickly became a starter and was one of the team’s pillars in its surge in that year’s Brasileirão, forming a center-back partnership with Gustavo Henrique in the second half of the season.

In 2025, however, he lost a bit of space and began alternating between the bench and the starting lineup, regaining his place among the starting 11 after the arrival of coach Dorival Júnior in the final stretch of April last year. He is currently a backup in the position, as Gabriel Paulista starts alongside Gustavo Henrique. For Alvinegro, the number 5 has played 84 matches (74 as a starter), scoring two goals and providing one assist, and was part of the title-winning squads for the Paulista Championship (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026).

Alvinegro will return to training on the morning of this Thursday (26) to continue preparations for the return of matches. It is worth remembering that Corinthians have not won in seven games, with five draws (Portuguesa, Cruzeiro, Santos, Chapecoense, and Flamengo) and two defeats (Novorizontino and Coritiba). The last victory came on February 19, a 1-0 win over Athletico-PR at Arena da Baixada, in the second round of the Brazilian Championship.

Corinthians updates the medical status of injured trio:

1) Hugo Farias – undergoing treatment after surgery to correct a meniscus injury

2) Kaio César – continues recovering from perifibrotic inflammation in the posterior muscle of the right thigh

3) Memphis Depay – undergoing treatment in the Netherlands for an injury to the anterior muscle of the right thigh

See More:

Corinthians News

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