Corinthians forward hails Fernando Diniz support, readapts to Brazil | OneFootball

On the night of last Thursday (21), Corinthians visited Uruguay’s Peñarol at Estádio Campeón Del Siglo, in a match valid for the fifth round of the 2026 Conmebol Libertadores group stage, and drew 1-1. Moroccan midfielder Zakaria Labyad scored Corinthians’ goal. The draw secured Timão first place in Group E with 11 points – three wins and two draws – with eight goals scored and two conceded.

Moments after the final whistle, still on the pitch, forward Kaio César spoke to reporters in the mixed zone and gave his assessment of his performance. The youngster also recalled the physical issues he dealt with at the start of the season, when he was sidelined between February and March / March and April due to thigh muscle problems.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Since joining Corinthians at the start of 2026, he has played 11 matches, with five wins, four draws and two losses – a 57.58% success rate. In addition, he has two assists and one title won: the 2026 Supercopa do Brasil, against Flamengo, at Mané Garrincha Stadium in Brasília.

“Ah, it was really good, right? First of all, I thank God for today’s match (Thursday), I was very happy with my game today. I’m happy that I’m feeling good physically, and I’ve been working every day to earn my place back. I had even said that my injuries (at the start of the year) made things a bit difficult for me, I was a bit unlucky, but I already feel good now and ready to help,” he began.

He then mentioned the importance of coach Fernando Diniz, who, according to Kaio César, has been giving him a lot of confidence so that he can perform at his best on the field: “He tells me to really take people on, because that’s my characteristic. So he gives me a lot of confidence to perform better, which means taking players on, dribbling and helping my teammates in the best way possible.”

Finally, he was asked about his readjustment to Brazilian football. Developed in Coritiba’s youth academy, Kaio César, despite still being young, came from experiences playing abroad. The first was in Portuguese football, in the 2023/2024 season, for Vitória de Guimarães. Before arriving at Parque São Jorge, he was playing for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal (2024/2025), where he had been getting few opportunities. He is on loan at Timão until the end of the season and has a contract with the Saudis until 2028.

“For me, since I’m already Brazilian, I didn’t feel much difficulty. Of course, I was unfortunate there with the injuries, it was something I wasn’t expecting, right? But I’m very happy because I’m adapting really well, I’m getting back to being happy here at Corinthians. It was something I really needed, something I had been missing a lot. It was this atmosphere, this environment of the Brazilian people that only exists here, and I’m feeling very good physically and very happy,” he concluded.

With Kaio César as an option, Corinthians return to the pitch this Sunday (24), at 6:30 p.m. Brasília time, to face Atlético-MG at Neo Química Arena in the 17th round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship. At the moment, Alvinegro are the first team inside the relegation zone with 18 points – four wins, six draws and six losses – 14 goals scored and 18 conceded.

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