Diniz defends Memphis after missed penalty, owns Corinthians slump | OneFootball

Fernando Diniz once again defended Memphis Depay after Corinthians’ elimination in the Conmebol Libertadores quarterfinals. After the 1-0 loss to Estudiantes last Wednesday (16) at Neo Química Arena, the coach shared responsibility for the exit with the entire group, highlighted the Dutchman’s courage to take the stoppage-time penalty, and also commented on Rodrigo Garro’s current form.

Timão had drawn the first leg 1-1 in La Plata and needed a home win to advance directly. Estudiantes, however, scored late in the second half and won 1-0, sealing the tie 2-1 on aggregate.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca / Corinthians Agency

Corinthians still had the chance to take the match to penalties. Deep into stoppage time, Memphis stepped up and sent the ball over the bar. The miss put the No. 10 at the center of attention after the final whistle and sparked reactions from supporters.

During the press conference, Diniz was asked about a possible breakdown in the relationship between Memphis and the Fiel. The coach mentioned what the forward has already given to the club, stressed the weight of that moment, and said the squad would continue to stand by the Dutchman.

“I think he has done a lot for the club, and he had the courage to take the penalty. It’s always difficult to step up and take a penalty in the 50th minute, in a Libertadores quarterfinal, one of the most important matches in the club’s history — in fact, today’s match. Corinthians are 116 years old and have won only one Libertadores, and we talked about that all the time. And we will always be with him.

Everyone lost, it wasn’t just because of the goal. We conceded a goal we could have avoided, we weren’t able to create much, and obviously the penalty at the end of the match ends up drawing all the spotlight to him, but he is a player who can handle this kind of situation, an experienced player, and in the locker room we already said it: we’re all in this together.”

Diniz reveals conversation with Memphis after the match

After the final whistle, Memphis remained kneeling on the Neo Química Arena pitch. Diniz approached the forward and hugged him right there on the field.

Asked about what was said in that moment, the coach said there was no need for a long conversation. In his view, the player’s feelings at that moment already showed the weight of the missed penalty.

“There wasn’t much to say. I hugged Memphis, and the guy feels like the worst person in the world at that moment, because it seems like everything falls on him, and that’s not the case. Deep down, to take a penalty, a player has to have a lot of courage, and he had the courage to take it and he missed, and it’s that penalty. How many star players in the history of world football have missed important penalties? Today was his day to miss.”

Coach takes responsibility for recent performances

The elimination also increased the pressure over Corinthians’ performances at Neo Química Arena. Diniz was asked about the team’s drop in level in front of its own fans and acknowledged his share of responsibility for the difficulty in finding answers.

The coach recalled the win over Remo after the season break and pointed out that the injuries to Yuri Alberto and André, which happened later, affected the team. At the same time, he distinguished the problems shown in recent matches.

“I have responsibility, major responsibility. We haven’t been able to find solutions. When we came back after the break, our first match back here was against Remo, and the team played in a very fluid way, very much with the characteristics I like, attacking well, defending well. Then, seven days later, Yuri and André got injured at the same time. After that, we had matches here with different stories, games in which we lacked the energy to win, a criticism you made and that I agreed with, or with them, in the sense that we lacked more physical presence, which was not the case today.”

In Diniz’s assessment, the problem against Estudiantes was mainly in the attacking buildup. The coach said the team lacked creativity to find spaces and greater presence in the opposing box.

“Today we lacked inspiration, we lacked better control, being more aggressive in finishing plays, getting more players into the box. In the matches against Chapecoense, Santos, especially those two home games, and also Coritiba away, we lacked energy, greater physical presence — in the sense of being quicker, more aggressive to win the matches. So, to answer your question directly, I do have responsibility, because I am the team’s coach and I have to find solutions so the team can win matches, especially at home.”

Diniz comments on Rodrigo Garro’s current moment

Another name discussed in the interview was Rodrigo Garro. The midfielder has been the target of criticism during Corinthians’ negative run, and Diniz acknowledged some inconsistency in the Argentine’s performances.

On the other hand, the coach mentioned recent displays he considered positive and linked part of the individual difficulties to the team’s collective functioning. Diniz also acknowledged Estudiantes’ merits in the way they managed to limit Timão’s attacking actions.

“I think there’s been a bit of inconsistency. I think he played a very good match there in Argentina, and in the time he was on the field against Flamengo he also did well, and today was a difficult match for everyone, we weren’t able to find inspiration. So, collectively — and Estudiantes deserve credit for that, just as we also managed to neutralize a good part of their game. It was a very balanced match, but it was a difficult game to create in today.”

The coach completed his analysis by pointing out that no player managed to stand out individually amid the collective difficulties shown by Corinthians.

“And individually, in the end, there wasn’t any standout, no major individual highlight in our team. Nobody was able to provide many solutions because, tactically, we also weren’t able to flow offensively in the match today.”

Corinthians look to respond before the international break

Out of the Libertadores, Corinthians will have little time to deal with the frustration. The squad returns to the pitch next Sunday (20), when they host Fluminense at 4 p.m. (Brasília time), once again at Neo Química Arena, for the 28th round of the Brazilian Championship.

Timão sit 13th in the table, with 32 points from 27 matches. So far, they have eight wins, eight draws, and 11 losses, along with 28 goals scored and 29 conceded.

The clash against Fluminense will be Alvinegro’s last match before the international break and represents an opportunity for an immediate response after the continental elimination and Corinthians’ negative run in the Brasileirão.

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