Corinthians under-20 boss praises Gui Amorim, reveals daily demands | OneFootball

Corinthians took the field on the afternoon of last Friday (25) to face XV de Jaú at Estádio Alfredo Schürig, Fazendinha, in the second leg of the second phase of the 2026 Paulista Under-20 Championship, and beat the opposing team 2-0. Timãozinho’s goals were scored by Gui Amorim and Nicolas Araújo. With the result, the Sons of Terrão advanced to the round of 16, having won 5-2 on aggregate. In the first leg, played last Monday (21) in the countryside of the state, Corinthians won 3-2.

Moments after the final whistle, Corinthians Under-20 head coach William Batista gave an exclusive interview to Meu Timão and was asked about the performance of 18-year-old midfielder Gui Amorim, who scored the goal that opened the match. The coach revealed that he pushes the player daily to develop other qualities in his style of play, given his potential. The manager said that, unlike at other times, the No. 10 is now a player with a fundamental defensive role for the team.

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel/Agência Corinthians

“I’ve been pushing Amorim a lot throughout the season so that he doesn’t become a one-dimensional player — in other words, that classic attacking midfielder who only plays near the goal, provides an assist, but hardly does anything else. At one point he was even somewhat labeled that way. Today, if you watch the game, Amorim is a guy who presses high, helps with defensive recovery by getting back behind the ball, makes tackles, and wins duels. He has been heavily involved in our build-up zone, and not just in the finishing zone,” he began.

An undisputed starter for the Under-20 side, Gui Amorim has four goals in 27 matches this season. In that category, he trails only Luiz Fernando (19), Luiz Gustavo Bahia (8), and Nicolas Araújo (60. The youngster is considered one of the biggest prospects in Corinthians’ academy and, at the start of this season, renewed his contract. Since last year, still under Dorival Júnior, and at times under Fernando Diniz, he has taken part in training sessions with the professional squad. At the end of 2025 and in the first half of this year, he was included in the squad for some matches, but did not come off the bench.

William Batista commented that it is important for the player to develop other positive aspects of his game with the goal of, at some point, making his professional debut for Corinthians and continuing to grow in his career as an athlete. This improvement will allow the player to adapt to any tactical context required in a match.

“I’ve also been demanding a lot from him so that he doesn’t rely only on one type of move near the box, but also attacks space, gets into the area, and makes penetrating runs. I think Amorim has managed, in this recent period, to become a complete player, one who delivers the full game and not just part of it. That is essential, because we need to deliver an athlete to the first team — whether in six months, a year, or whenever the professional side needs him — who offers multiple tools and not just a limited repertoire. We’re very happy that he scored another goal,” he said.

It is worth remembering that Gui Amorim was Corinthians’ top scorer at Under-17 level in 2025, when the side was coached by Raphael Laruccia. Last season, he scored 20 goals in 43 matches — 30 wins, six draws, and seven losses. His standout performances earned him a promotion and a starting spot with the Under-20s. He was also included in Timão’s squad list for the 2026 Copinha. His contract runs until July 2027.

Now Corinthians await the definition of their opponent for the round of 16 of the Paulista Championship. The São Paulo Football Federation should soon announce the details — such as dates and kickoff times — for the two matches in this phase and, consequently, Timão will learn their opponent. The games are expected to take place at the beginning of October. Overall, Timãozinho have already won the tournament nine times, most recently in 2015.

Corinthians’ campaign in the Paulista Under-20 Championship

The Sons of Terrão are seeking to win the tournament in the category for the first time since 2015. Last year, they were knocked out as early as the round of 16 after being eliminated by Santos — a 3-1 comeback defeat at Vila Belmiro. In the first phase of this year’s state competition, Corinthians finished second in Group 1 with 32 points, totaling 10 wins, two draws, and one loss, with 29 goals scored and only three conceded. Santos finished as group leaders with the same points and record, but had the edge on goal difference (27 to 26).

In the overall standings, meanwhile, Alvinegro had the seventh-best campaign, behind Red Bull Bragantino (39), Palmeiras (35), Ibrachina (34), Guarani (34), São Paulo (34), and Santos (32). The club from Parque São Jorge ended the first phase of the state competition with a 4-0 thrashing of América-SP at home last Saturday, September 12. In the second phase, as already mentioned, they dispatched XV de Jaú by winning both matches, 3-2 (first leg, in Jaú) and 2-0 (second leg, at Parque São Jorge).

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