Corinthians icon on Libertadores semi-final return after 14 years | OneFootball

Corinthians take the field this Wednesday for one of the most important matches of their season. Against Estudiantes at Neo Química Arena, Timão will fight for a place in the Copa Libertadores semifinals, something that has not happened since 2012. That year, the black-and-white side won the competition for the first time, with Chicão among the starting defenders.

In an interview with the Tabelando program on Meu Timão, the former center-back assessed the possible weight of so many years without Corinthians being among the final four of the tournament. In the idol’s view, however, the current squad should not carry excessive pressure because of the long spell without reaching this stage.

Photo: © Daniel Augusto Jr. / Fotoarena

Chicão recalled that the 2012 campaign had precisely the effect of easing a historic burden that followed Corinthians. Before that title, the club had still not won the Libertadores and was frequently mocked for that reason. For the former player, the continental triumph, along with the Club World Cup, changed that scenario.

“I think as for the weight (of playing in the Libertadores knockout rounds), that 2012 group managed to lift some of it, right? Because we didn’t have a Libertadores yet, so the club lived under pressure because it didn’t have one, Corinthians fans were mocked because they didn’t have a Libertadores. People ask me which title I prefer, the Club World Cup or the Libertadores. Man, there was already the 2000 Club World Cup, but there was no Libertadores. So that means we managed to lift that burden off the club,” he said.

Next, the former defender highlighted that there is another kind of motivation for the current squad: the chance to leave their own names in Corinthians history. Chicão also cited last season’s Copa do Brasil title as something that can strengthen the players’ confidence ahead of a clash of such importance.

“Of course, for the player now, there’s the desire to go down in history, to make history at the club by winning a Libertadores… I have no doubt these players dream about that. You go down in the club’s history. I think this group thinks that way too. They already won the Copa do Brasil last year, and today they have the chance to return, after some time, to a Libertadores semifinal. They need to keep a cool head, a strong mentality. I think the main thing in football today is mentality, especially playing against the Argentinians,” the former center-back said.

Fernando Diniz’s work was also among the topics addressed by Chicão. The former defender noted that the coach has not completely abandoned the trait of building plays from the back, a hallmark of previous teams led by him, but stressed that Diniz has made adjustments to suit the characteristics of the Corinthians squad.

“Fernando is adapting. Every now and then he tries to play out from the back, and goals have already happened that way. He won a Libertadores playing like that. But he really has adapted to the club, and he has other working methods, it’s not just about buildup. From time to time Hugo Souza also takes a goal kick long,” he pointed out.

When analyzing the players responsible for giving quality to the attacking sector, Chicão said personality is a fundamental component in decisive matches. Memphis Depay, Rodrigo Garro and Breno Bidon were mentioned by the former player, who also drew attention to the increased responsibility on the young midfielder after his call-up to the Brazilian national team.

“It’s not just about quality. I think you need personality too, because it’s in the big games that the big players show up. In a match like this, you have to take responsibility, hold on to the ball. I’m talking about Memphis, who is more involved in attack, Garro himself, Bidon himself, now a Brazil national team player, so the responsibility on the kid is a little greater today,” the former player said.

Another name highlighted was André Carrillo. For Chicão, the Peruvian’s experience plays a relevant role in the way Corinthians control matches. The former center-back also pointed to the midfielder’s positional change under Diniz as an important factor in his performances.

“Carrillo is important today too, because of his experience. He’s not a speedster, but he dictates the tempo of the game. You can see that most of Corinthians’ plays today go through his feet when he’s on the field. He’s no longer that player who stays wide and tracks the full-back. Diniz has already identified and realized that he will produce much more through the middle,” he said.

Memphis Depay also received special attention during the interview. Chicão highlighted the different ways the forward can directly influence the outcome of a match and recalled a decisive play in the qualification against Rosario Central in the Libertadores round of 16.

“He can decide it from a set piece, an individual play, a pass or an assist. And he needs to take responsibility for everything that was built off the pitch. The people who didn’t want to renew with Memphis now put responsibility on him and say he has to decide the game. But remember: there are 11 players, there’s the bench, there’s the coach, all of that was built during the week. I see that he can decide it from a set piece, just like he did against Rosario. He hit the free kick toward goal, it touched Bidon and went in. That’s training, hitting it toward goal,” he explained.

The squad’s financial situation was also addressed. The overdue wages were settled before the match, but Chicão dismissed the idea that this kind of problem should serve as justification for any drop in performance on the pitch. According to him, the player’s individual responsibility must remain above issues related to the club’s administration.

“I don’t think that exists. Sometimes people create certain situations. I believe the player can’t think like that, because he has his own name. If he stops running, it goes back to what I said at the beginning. How is he going to go down in history if he didn’t win the Libertadores? I believe you have to take that in stride,” said the former center-back.

Toward the very end of the conversation, Chicão spoke about the responsibility of the more experienced players toward the younger ones. For him, the group’s leaders need to show the younger players what it means to represent Corinthians in a match of this magnitude, regardless of who is in charge at the club.

“I believe the older guys need to call the younger ones over too, those who sometimes aren’t the group leaders, and say, ‘man, we need to play, because there are 35 million people out there rooting for us.’ Regardless of which board is in power, because boards leave, time passes, one comes back, another comes in. The most important thing is our name and representing the institution. That’s what matters most, and I see the players giving their all,” he added.

Corinthians and Estudiantes face off starting at 9:30 p.m. this Wednesday at Neo Química Arena. As the first leg ended in a 1-1 draw, whoever wins secures qualification for the next stage of the Libertadores.

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