Ex-Corinthians, Vasco man neutral for Copa do Brasil final: "Hope for good football" | OneFootball

Vasco and Corinthians decide the title of the Copa do Brasil this Sunday (21), at Maracanã. Far from the final's stage, in Tombos, in the interior of Minas Gerais, a character with ties to both clubs follows the match with special attention. After two years out of the market, Cristóvão Borges is back in football and was recently announced as the new coach of Tombense.

Hired to lead the Minas Gerais team in 2026, Cristóvão spoke about momentarily interrupting the training routine to follow the national decision. The coach has distinct ties with the finalists of the Copa do Brasil and claims to hold affection for both. “I will root for good football. Both teams are part of my history and I have affection for both”, he said in an interview with ge.

Photo: Daniel Augusto Jr/Ag. Corinthians

Cristóvão Borges's journey as a coach began at Vasco da Gama. In 2011, then as an assistant coach, he was part of the team that won the Copa do Brasil. Shortly after, he took over the team after the then-coach Ricardo Gomes suffered a stroke during a match. He recalls the period with mixed feelings, highlighting the weight of the context that led him to the position and the importance of the club in his career.

“Vasco is a very significant point in my sports history, for several reasons. It was at Vasco that I became a coach. Unfortunately, it was in a way that brought us a lot of sadness. It was the incident with Ricardo Gomes, I was his assistant at the time. We had won the Copa do Brasil and, just like now, previously Vasco was experiencing a long hiatus from national achievements”, he recalled.

In his first stint as a coach, Cristóvão Borges led Vasco in 78 matches, with 41 wins, 18 draws, and 19 losses. In 2011, the team finished the Brazilian Championship in second place, in addition to reaching the semifinals of the Copa Sudamericana. The following year, they were runners-up in the Taça Guanabara and Taça Rio. The coach assesses that the squad was close to even greater achievements but was ultimately stopped by Corinthians in decisive moments.

“I experienced great, very significant moments. It was a time when I led a great team with great players. We had impressive campaigns. We almost became Brazilian champions (2011) and almost reached the final stage of the Libertadores (2012), when we lost to Corinthians, who would win the competition and become world champions.”

Cristóvão would return to the Rio club in 2017, in a shorter stint, with only 11 games.

Brief stint at Corinthians

In 2016, Cristóvão Borges took over Corinthians in a high-pressure scenario, succeeding Tite, who left the club after a victorious and multi-champion journey. However, the work lasted less than three months.

The dismissal occurred after a 2-0 loss to Palmeiras at the Neo Química Arena, in a classic match valid for the Brazilian Championship. The coach left the position after 18 matches, with seven wins, five draws, and six losses, with 23 goals scored and 20 conceded.

Cristóvão recalls the difficulties faced during the period, such as the departure of important players from the squad and the symbolic weight of replacing a recent club idol.

“The work was good, and we were in a very difficult moment because I was going to replace the coach of the Brazilian National Team. Tite was leaving after being world champion, winning the Brazilian Championship. In his last game, I was in the stadium, and it was the first time I saw a coach being cheered as an idol. That indicated the responsibility I was going to have.”

Despite the negative outcome, the coach claims not to hold any resentment from his time at the Parque São Jorge club.

“Resentment? Never! It doesn't fit. In fact, in the places where I worked, with more or fewer difficulties, I have no resentment, I don't hold it. Corinthians was wonderful. To make it work, it lacked little. It's one of those things that are part of football, as they are part of life. There are things that are under your control and others that are not, regardless of your will”, pondered the coach.

Cristóvão Borges also praised the work of the Copa do Brasil finalist coaches, Fernando Diniz and Dorival Júnior.

“This is just to confirm their quality (Fernando Diniz and Dorival Jr.) and that of the Brazilian coach. Diniz has a very interesting, very creative way of playing. Dorival has great football knowledge. Just look at the titles achieved by both,” he concluded.

After his stint at Vasco in 2017, Cristóvão Borges alternated between periods of work and absence from the market. In 2020, he won the Campeonato Goiano with Atlético-GO. Later, he stayed away from the field until taking over Figueirense, his last club before signing with Tombense.

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