Dorival calls for patience with Zakaria at Corinthians: "He must regain strength" | OneFootball

Dorival Júnior asked for patience with the Moroccan midfielder Zakaria Labyad, a reinforcement for Corinthians this season. The coach said that the player is still improving his physical condition and needs time to debut in the black and white jersey.

“He is working based on physical conditions. He was inactive for a longer period and needs to recover his strength. We are being patient with him,” said the coach in a press conference after Timão's qualification to the semifinals of the Campeonato Paulista last Sunday, against Portuguesa.

Zakaria's case is similar to that of Fabrizio Angileri. After agreeing to a contract renewal with the club, the left-back needed a few weeks to get in shape and was listed for the first time this Sunday.

However, Labyad's situation requires even more care, as he hasn't played since November 22 of last year, more than three months ago.

“Angileri accelerated this process more because he was already working, so he was already on the bench. And, mainly, due to Bidu's moment, who played seven consecutive matches. If he had to come in, he would, but not yet in his best condition. We need to have this patience with Zakaria so that he can reach his best condition. We are still in an initial process, starting tomorrow we will begin a new phase with Zakaria,” explained Dorival.

(Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

Zakaria Labyad was without a club after leaving Dalian Yingbo, China. He scored six goals and provided four assists in 25 matches for the Asian team.

Before that, the player was with Yunnan Yukun, also in China, FC Utrecht, Ajax, PSV, and Vitesse in the Netherlands, Fulham in England, and Sporting in Portugal.

The player's arrival caused controversy at Corinthians. In a press conference, the coach Dorival Júnior said he did not request Zakaria's signing. The Moroccan's name was suggested by Memphis Depay to Renan Bloise, head of the scouting department. He played with the Dutchman at PSV.

The professional evaluated the athlete and gave the go-ahead to the football department, led by Marcelo Paz. However, the fact that the Moroccan was not requested by Dorival or indicated by Corinthians' market analysts caused surprise and generated enormous pressure on Renan.

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Zakaria Labyad is the sixth reinforcement for Corinthians for the 2026 season. The club has already announced the signings of Gabriel Paulista, Matheus Pereira, Pedro Milans, Kaio César, and Allan. Additionally, it renewed Fabrizio Angileri's contract.

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