Dorival honoured by TV Gazeta for his 1,000th match, reflects on his career | OneFootball

Dorival Júnior was honored by TV Gazeta this Sunday. The current coach of Corinthians received a special plaque for reaching the milestone of one thousand games and spoke about his journey in football, upcoming goals, and even possible retirement.

The achievement was reached in the match against Atlético-MG on October 18, during the 29th round of the Brazilian Championship. Timão won 1-0 at Neo Química Arena. In an exclusive interview with Gazeta Esportiva, Dorival celebrated the milestone.

“I am very happy [about the milestone]. First, I thank you for the honor, it's not easy. We all work in a profession with a short shelf life. I am very happy to be reaching a number like this, with the success rate we had, over 60%, getting to know all the regions of the country through all the clubs I passed through. For me, it's a pleasure, a moment I value greatly. I thank everyone who was part of this, the directors and fans who trusted my work and, above all, the athletes who helped me build this story,” said the coach.

(Photo: André da Silva Costa/Gazeta Press)

Career Overview

At 63 years old, Dorival values his achievements and the results obtained throughout his career. However, he is not satisfied, even after reaching the pinnacle: leading the Brazilian National Team. The coach evaluates his journey as positive but says he is motivated for more and in search of growth.

“Calm, motivated, always seeking growth. There were 14 victories and five runner-ups. I think these numbers are not for everyone, especially in a country like ours, where immediacy takes away real possibilities for us to build, correct, and seek results. Normally, you only go through one of these stages in Brazilian football,” he stated.

The coach also reported having lived different experiences in football and sees himself prepared for “any situation.” He also spoke about his relationship with young players from the youth categories of the clubs he passed through.

“Until 2010, I assembled teams, arrived at clubs where we only had four athletes at the beginning of the year, and suddenly we had a competitive team, competing and winning regional championships. Then I took some teams in the relegation zone, it was a bit different, difficult jobs. We still achieved great results, which has a great value. I prepared myself in a way that I could face any situation, with or without signings, most of the time I didn't have them, in conditions to do what I wanted. I started to value the youth categories much more than the reinforcements themselves, which was very satisfying,” he said.

“In the last World Cup, I saw athletes who started or passed at some point through my journey, which is also a reason for satisfaction, to see that the work progresses not only with results but with a mark that greatly values what my career was: giving opportunities to athletes who are seeking a path for their careers,” he added.

Retirement?

Retirement is something that is still distant from Dorival Júnior's plans. He believes it is still too early to leave the sidelines and intends to extend his career a bit longer.

“No, it's still early. Right after I stopped, in 2000, I spent three years as an assistant. I was Luiz Carlos Ferreira's assistant for two and a half years, then I spent half a year as Muricy Ramalho's assistant. In mid-2003, I took over Figueirense and started my professional career. I was inactive for four to five years, some gaps within the career, but if I put everything that happened on paper, I can only be grateful. I will continue preparing myself so that I can extend this career a bit more and give my best for the clubs I am in charge of,” he declared.

Victorious Career

In total, Dorival has managed 21 clubs in Brazil. From the current Serie A, for example, he has coached 14 out of the 20 teams.

The coach also boasts an extensive list of trophies. There have been 14 victories. Among the main titles are the Paulista Championships of 2010 and 2016, the Brazil Cups of 2010, 2022, and 2023, as well as the 2022 Copa Libertadores with Flamengo.

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