Dorival puts Brasileirão first, holds off on Corinthians plans for 2026

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Central do Timão

·1 November 2025

Dorival puts Brasileirão first, holds off on Corinthians plans for 2026

By Vinícios Cotrim | Central do Timão Editorial Team

For the fourth consecutive season, Corinthians is in the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil, seeking their fourth title in history. For the team, this is the main focus of the season, as highlighted by Dorival Júnior, who emphasized the importance of the Brasileirão in the meantime.

“We have no other path. We will have two very difficult games against a great Brazilian football team, which has been fighting for the top positions. But, that will happen in some time. We are aware that our responsibility at this moment is the Brazilian Championship. We need to seek the best possible results”, the coach started to TV Gazeta.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

Since the coach's arrival at Parque São Jorge, Corinthians has been struggling with constant absences, whether due to muscle injuries, surgeries, or suspensions. The main absences were Garro, Yuri Alberto, and Memphis Depay, who alternated issues and missed several games for Timão.

“We had a series of factors that made our journey difficult. I think it's the fourth match we've had the trio [Garro, Yuri, and Memphis] from the start. In the other matches, we found another way to play with the players we had, changing positions, roles. We played great games, although often the result did not come“, said Dorival.

“We are playing a fair championship within the conditions presented to us, doing the best for Corinthians, defending the club tooth and nail. It's a big challenge, living with this challenge, all the difficulties we had, and even so, we still have many good things to happen until the end of this year”, he added.

Dorival Júnior has a contract with Corinthians until the end of 2026 and is expected to start planning for the next season soon. However, the coach stated that he has not yet shared his thoughts for the coming year, due to the focus on current competitions.

“Within a plan, it's natural for us to have some things in mind. We haven't exposed them yet, haven't opened up, we have a very difficult competition underway. We are aware that we need to improve, we can seek a better position in the standings. All efforts are directed towards this”, he said.

Corinthians' next commitment is this Sunday, the 2nd, for the 31st round of the Brasileirão. The match against Grêmio kicks off at 4 PM (Brasília time), at Neo Química Arena.

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