Corinthians Under-16 coach greets fans, speaks on warm welcome | OneFootball

In the last few hours, Corinthians published an interview on its official YouTube channel with Douglas Pilar, the new head coach of the Under-16 team for the 2026 season. At 35 years old, he holds a degree in Physical Education and has experience working in football academies, in addition to an internship at Audax. In 2022, while in charge of Ska Brasil, he finished as runner-up in the state Under-17 championship. Last year, with the same age group, while coaching Sfera, he won the Paulista Championship by beating Ibrachina in the final.

The professional was officially announced by Corinthians on December 22, 2025, and arrived at Parque São Jorge with the approval of department executive Erasmo Damiani, as he had told Central do Timão at the time of his arrival. Alvinegro’s youth academy, especially since May of last year, has been undergoing a major overhaul, with cost-cutting measures that include the departure of little-used players and staff members who were not very active in their day-to-day roles.

Photo: Reproduction/Corinthians TV

Check out Douglas Pilar’s answers below in an interview with Corinthians TV:

Path in sports and the dream of becoming a player

“I have always been passionate about football, from playing it to following and watching it as well. I usually say that football can be many things: for some, it is a field of science; for others, it is art; and for me, it has always been and always will be a passion. I tried to become a player, I think until I was 15 years old, but I was never able to reach youth academy level.”

What has stood out in the athlete development process in Brazil in recent years

“There is one aspect I have noticed over these years, and I believe it is the mental side, of those who manage to reach a professional level in Série A or at the European level. The athletes who reach high levels are endowed with a great deal of commitment, discipline, and dedication. More and more, athletes arrive with a greater and more structured level of understanding and knowledge of the game. They are increasingly inquisitive, in a good way, seeking to understand the reasons why they are doing a certain type of training or playing in a certain way. More and more, the cognitive level has been rising on the pitch.”

“Being a football player, especially in Brazil, where football is part of the culture, is a passion. Besides being a country of more than 200 million inhabitants, it is very difficult to reach that level. The most important thing is to give your 100%, because regardless of whether you become a player or not, there are several things that a youth academy environment teaches you. Whether in the job market or in your personal or family life. That self-responsibility to seek to develop your abilities, to dedicate a large part of your day to your dream.”

Squad management

“The coach naturally has a great deal of power and responsibility because, through conversations, words, and work, he can greatly influence a generation. I believe that the coach’s role, in addition to conveying all the technical and tactical content, is very much centered on understanding the athlete. Understanding different realities, understanding that there are criteria that must apply to everyone, trying to be as fair as possible, but at the same time understanding that each person responds in a different way.”

Reception and expectations for the work at Corinthians

“I was very well received. The professionals, besides being highly capable, which consequently adds a lot of knowledge to our day-to-day work, as does the structure, which offers full conditions for us to develop our work in the best possible way. The fans expect a lot of commitment, a lot of grit, a lot of desire. That is part of Corinthians’ DNA. They can expect a lot of work and a lot of commitment. The group has shown itself to be very engaged, very willing to learn and develop technical and tactical content. Our main role is to work with these athletes so that they can keep moving up through the age groups, offering all the necessary support to the Under-17s, consequently to the Under-20s and the professional team. The fans can expect a lot of work from us.”

See More:

Corinthians News

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