Fortaleza keeper recalls failed Corinthians move at season start | OneFootball

Fortaleza goalkeeper João Ricardo gave an interview to Esportes O POVO and was asked about his failed move to Corinthians at the start of the current season. The 37-year-old said he chose to open talks with other teams after Fortaleza’s board put him on the market because of his salary, which at the time was considered high by Série B standards. It is worth remembering that the Northeastern club was relegated to the second division at the end of 2025 and, consequently, suffered a sharp drop in revenue.

Looking back on the talks with Alvinegro, he stressed that his priority was always to stay at Leão: “I was approached by the board and they asked me: ‘What are you thinking?’. I said: ‘I don’t want to leave, I want to stay here’. But they understood that, perhaps, my salary was not compatible with that moment and that there needed to be a negotiation. I made it very clear that my main intention was to stay. They thought that, perhaps, it was better to negotiate,” he began.

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João Ricardo had a preliminary agreement with Corinthians since January 2026. In March, he traveled to São Paulo to undergo medical exams, but ended up failing them and therefore did not sign a contract. In the first months of the season, he was sidelined as he recovered from a shoulder injury suffered in October 2025. He later returned to Fortaleza and was reintegrated into the Northeastern club’s squad, where he regained his starting spot.

“I found it very strange because, when I came back from there (São Paulo), I arrived here (Fortaleza) and did all the exams. In fact, I came back from there and started training normally. So you start questioning it, right? But God knows what He’s doing, because He knows where my daughter, my wife, and I are happy […] He knew I wanted to stay. I waited until the very last moment for Fortaleza. It got close, it was getting there, and it didn’t happen. I’m already at the end of my career, so I don’t want to leave here anymore. Regardless of how big the other club that comes after me may be, I feel comfortable here. I’m very happy here,” he said.

João Ricardo would have joined Corinthians on a loan deal at no cost to Fortaleza. The signing was requested by coach Dorival Jr., who was still in charge of Timão at the time and had worked with the player at Ceará in 2022. At the time, it was understood that Alvinegro needed a more experienced goalkeeper to provide competition for Hugo Souza, which ultimately did not happen.

Marcelo Paz, Corinthians’ football executive, knew João Ricardo precisely from Fortaleza. Before arriving at Parque São Jorge, the executive had been president and CEO of Leão do Picci’s SAF. Currently, the backups in the position at Corinthians are two players from the youth academy: goalkeepers Kauê Camargo and Felipe Longo.

Besides Fortaleza, João Ricardo has also played for: Concórdia, Brusque, Icasa, Goiânia, Marcílio Dias, Rio Branco-AC, Paysandu, Veranópolis, América-MG, Chapecoense, and Ceará.

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