Fernando Diniz hails Corinthians, Bidon and bond with fans after advancing | OneFootball

Corinthians secured qualification for the quarterfinals of the 2026 Conmebol Libertadores on the night of last Thursday (20). At Neo Química Arena, Timão beat Rosario Central-ARG 1-0, with a goal by Breno Bidon, and advanced after the goalless draw in the first leg in Argentina.

After the match, Fernando Diniz held a press conference and analyzed different aspects of Corinthians’ performance. The coach highlighted the team’s defensive organization, spoke about Kaio César’s development, praised Breno Bidon, explained Memphis Depay’s minutes, and emphasized the fans’ role in the qualification.

Photos: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

When evaluating the team’s performance, Diniz said Corinthians managed to create some plays but had difficulty giving the game more pace. The coach also again defended the importance of collective defensive work, especially after Raniele’s red card in the second half.

“I think it worked relatively well in the technical aspect of build-up play, because it was a difficult game, a game in which we were very much subject to the referee’s criteria, the foul calls, and the game becoming slower. In my opinion, it was a game that could have had much more ball in play, and I think the players gave everything. We could have sped the game up a bit more, with more movement, so we could break Rosario’s first defensive lines more quickly, but the players did well, gave their all, and defensively we had a very safe match, really very safe, with excellent tactical discipline from all the players. And when you apply yourselves like that, you can play. If you follow your line of reasoning, we played with no specialist defensive player in the most critical moment of the game, because Raniele was sent off, but it’s the whole system that defends, and that starts up front with Pedro Raul and Garro.

“And when everyone is committed, we can build a defensively solid team. So, in some situations, we can do that. That kind of weakens the argument from the Inter match, when there was a substitution I made — I think I remember who came off — and I put Lingard on because I supposedly had to strengthen the midfield. Football doesn’t work like that. What happened there was, you had just put the player on, then you concede from a set piece and then give away a penalty two minutes later. Then the criticism is built around a very simplistic, oversimplified event.

“We can’t think about the problem itself. People think about reducing the problem so they can blame someone. So, when there’s a problem in the defensive system, if a player makes a defensive mistake — let’s say Garro had stayed as a number eight, had to provide cover, and made a mistake, something very specific — then criticism would make sense if it were made like that. But not because it’s 1-0, you take one player out of a position, put another one in, and then concede because the guy hit a shot from midfield, and the game ends in defeat. Then all the criticism is based on a justification that has nothing to do with what actually happened.”

Diniz highlights the fans’ role in the qualification

The atmosphere at Neo Química Arena was also discussed during the press conference. Diniz, who previously played for Corinthians, said he feels joy in representing the club again, now from the touchline, and highlighted the bond built between the squad and the stands.

“I feel joy being on the touchline and representing Corinthians. A lot of joy. It’s exciting when the singing starts, when the ‘poró-popó’ starts, something that is different, different anywhere in the world. A unique fanbase. And it’s a fanbase that supports its team all the time. And with all these problems, this connection between the team and the fans is what is making the team move forward. And I love that. I love that connection, connecting the player with the stands and the stands with the player. When that starts happening and that relationship deepens, the trend is very positive.”

Kaio César receives praise from Fernando Diniz

Another name analyzed by the coach was Kaio César. The forward was involved in Corinthians’ attacking moves especially during the first half and had his development highlighted by Diniz.

According to the manager, the player’s growth is not linked to any specific instruction, but to a process involving training, video analysis, and adapting to the demands of playing for Corinthians.

“I don’t think there’s one specific thing in decision-making. Kaio is a player who is increasingly turning into a top-level player, wearing the Corinthians shirt. He’s a young guy who left Brazil very early. He played for Coritiba, went to Portugal, then spent time in the Arab world, and now he’s here. So he’s a player with immense potential and he’s getting more and more used to playing under this huge pressure, with this massive fanbase, in important competitions, with difficult games every day. And decision-making comes from watching video, from training, from us talking. So, there’s a whole series of factors that you feed into the player so he can see himself and assess what he’s doing right and what he’s doing wrong. But he has improved a lot and has helped us a lot here. Since I arrived, Kaio César has been a player in clear development.”

Coach ranks qualification among most memorable matches and praises Breno Bidon

Scorer of the only goal of the match, Breno Bidon also stood out in the interview. Diniz was asked both about the collective performance and the importance of the midfielder, who got into the box to redirect Memphis’ free kick and secure qualification.

When comparing the performance with other matches since taking over at Corinthians, the coach placed the win over Rosario Central among the ones that made him proudest, especially because of the weight of the qualification.

“I think you can say yes, because of the importance of the match. Against Palmeiras, with two players fewer, one player fewer for almost the entire first half and two players fewer for almost the entire second half, that’s another game that can be included. The away game against Rosario, also with one player fewer. There have been many games here, but this is one of them and, because of how important the match was, because of advancing to the next round, maybe it’s the most important game in that sense.

“Regarding Bidon, I consider him one of the smartest players I’ve worked with in my career. You tell Bidon something once, and you hardly ever need to say it a second time. He’s a player whose main characteristic, the role he performs on the field — maybe from his youth background — if you asked him, ‘Where do you think you feel most comfortable?’, in my opinion he’d say as a second defensive midfielder. Sometimes even as the first one, because of his quality in building from the back, but he can play anywhere. He can play as the first, second, number ten, winger, as he has been playing, where he defends as a winger but builds through the middle. So, he’s a very versatile player.

“And another thing he has, which is very important: he has a lot of courage to play, a lot of personality. He’s a player who doesn’t like coming off, always wants to play, always wants the ball, is always willing to help. So, he is certainly one of the pillars of our team here.”

Diniz explains Memphis’ minutes and Carrillo’s situation

Memphis Depay started the match on the bench and came on in the second half. Shortly after being introduced, the Dutchman took the free kick that led to Breno Bidon’s goal. Diniz explained that the moment chosen to bring him on was related to the forward’s physical condition.

The coach said he had spoken with Memphis beforehand and that the number of minutes had been planned. Diniz also spoke about André Carrillo and stopped short of guaranteeing him a run in the starting XI, although he included the Peruvian among the squad’s first-choice players.

“There is no promise that Carrillo will have a run. He is one of the starters here. When he doesn’t start, he comes on. You can’t say Carrillo is a backup on this team, and I also can’t guarantee that he’ll have a run. Maybe yes, maybe no, but he is one of the starters.

“And Memphis, that was the maximum time he could handle in the game. Memphis hadn’t started and played a full match in many months. Then he went to the World Cup and had very few minutes. Then there was the vacation period, then he was training separately. So, we talked. I spoke with him about it, about the amount of time he could handle. It was something agreed upon. So that was exactly it.

“The time he was going to come in was basically adjusted to be this amount of time he could manage. He played that amount and finished the game exhausted. So, if he had played 50 minutes — 51 minutes would be the second half — he probably would already have been worn down after 30 minutes and wouldn’t have been able to have the number of actions he had during the period he was on the pitch.”

Talk before the second half

One scene before the restart of the match also drew attention. Fernando Diniz accompanied the players to the center of the pitch and spoke with the group before the ball started rolling again.

Asked about the moment, the coach explained that he reinforced instructions previously given in the dressing room and asked the players to enjoy the match.

“As for going back to playing, I’m very happy being a coach. Obviously, sometimes I feel like playing, especially in games like this, but I don’t miss playing football. I find fulfillment in helping the players so they can do their best, their very best.

“And as for the talk we had, it was about reinforcing a little more what we had already discussed in the dressing room. For them to loosen up, for them to enjoy the match, because after another 45 minutes the game would be over, and for them to be able to take pleasure in playing football. That was basically the tone of our conversation there.”

With qualification secured, Corinthians will face another Argentine opponent in the Libertadores quarterfinals. Estudiantes will be Alvinegro’s next rival in the continental competition.

Before turning their attention back to the international tournament, Timão have a Brazilian Championship match ahead. Next Sunday (23), at 7:30 p.m. Brasília time, the team visits Coritiba at Couto Pereira Stadium for the 24th round. Corinthians currently sit ninth in the table with 32 points, with eight wins, eight draws, and seven defeats, as well as 25 goals scored and 22 conceded.

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