Corinthians U20 trio talk training return before 2026 Copa São Paulo

In partnership with

Central do Timão

·8 November 2025

Corinthians U20 trio talk training return before 2026 Copa São Paulo

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Since last Monday (3), Corinthians has resumed preparations for the 2026 São Paulo Junior Football Cup, which will kick off at the beginning of January, after a little over a month of vacation. In an interview with Corinthians TV, coach William Batista gave an overview of the first days of training, highlighting the team's potential for growth.

“I think the positive point of the preparation is that we already had two months together with the squad. So, everything we could provide in terms of preparation at first, we managed to do. Now, in this return, we are doing things that are more specific to the competition itself, so we can be as prepared as possible, so that the players can perform.”

OneFootball Videos

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel/Agência Corinthians

“They have shown a great ability to dedicate themselves, to make an effort, to want to improve day by day, and that helps us a lot, the coaching staff, because when they want to evolve, things happen more easily,” he said.

Since arriving at Corinthians in September this year, replacing Orlando Ribeiro, the coach has led the team in five matches (all in the Paulista Under-20 Championship) – three wins, one draw, and one loss – with eight goals scored and six conceded.

Michael de Paula, the physiologist for Corinthians’ youth categories, also spoke about the department’s working methods in alignment with the coaching staff. He also explained the purpose of the exams and physical tests during the return of the “Filhos do Terrão.”

“This is a job that has been built even before they reported back, with a whole program designed for them to follow during the vacation period. And here we start with assessments, tests to understand their body composition profile, how they have been applying strength, how they have been showing their endurance, among other important points so that we can monitor them in the best possible way.”

“And to fully individualize the workloads and provide this information to the coaching staff so that we can properly control the workload and have this longitudinal monitoring, since we are still within the formative background and we have this concern with the development of all aspects involving the health of our athletes and, consequently, their performance,” he commented.

Defender Lorenzo, who has been a starter for the Under-20 team, highlighted the work of the coaching staff already aiming at the 2026 Copinha, commenting on the importance of all athletes reaching a good physical level for the tournament.

“This week we returned to training, we started by doing some response tests, some endurance tests including with the coaching staff, we started doing a great job with ourselves. Now, we are preparing for the São Paulo Cup, with these tests we have been doing, we intend to be in a good situation in the Copinha, with a conscious and resilient team throughout the competition, and this also serves for the end of the year,” he stated.

Despite being runners-up in the 2025 São Paulo Cup, a tournament in which Corinthians is the biggest champion with 11 titles, the team’s performance dropped after the tournament and was below expectations in the Brazilian Championship of the category, fighting against relegation until the last rounds.

In the Paulista Championship, after two initial phases with ups and downs, Alvinegro faced Santos in the round of 16 and was defeated 3-1 on aggregate (0-0 in the first leg at Fazendinha and 3-1 in the return at Vila Belmiro). In 2026, the club from Parque São Jorge will compete in the Copinha, the Brazilian Championship, and the Paulista Championship.

Watch the full video on Corinthians TV:

See More: