Gabriel Paulista hails love for Corinthians, living his club dream | OneFootball

Center-back Gabriel Paulista was Corinthians’ first signing in 2026, joining the club on a free transfer after terminating his contract with Turkey’s Beşiktaş. During his time in European football, the player never hid his support for Timão and on several occasions spoke about his desire to wear the club’s shirt. Now living out that dream, the defender does not hide how emotional it is to play for the team he loves.

“For me, this is a very special moment in my career. Of course, when you grow up in the favela, you always dream from a young age of becoming a professional player. And after all the hardships my family and I went through, today we really enjoy life and everything we always dreamed of. So, for making my dream of becoming a football player come true, I’m very grateful to Taboão da Serra and Vitória, who gave me the opportunity to start,” Gabriel Paulista said in an exclusive interview with Central do Timão.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

“I played in the youth tournament for Taboão, then I went to Vitória in Bahia, where I was able to continue my professional career. And things kept growing more and more. I went to Europe and fulfilled many dreams there. I spent a long time away and it always brought me back a little to my childhood. I used to go to the stadiums to watch Corinthians play. I’ve always been a Corinthians fan thanks to my brother, because of the story I’ve already told everyone and that everyone knows very well by now — he was crazy about Corinthians. He had tattoos, he had a hawk on his back, he was the real die-hard fan. He ended up influencing me. I started following Corinthians more closely from a very young age; it’s a passion that’s been with me since the cradle, practically. And today, being here and making this dream of playing for Corinthians come true, there are no words to describe what I’m living, this emotion I feel every day,” continued the number 3.

Gabriel Paulista also revealed that he did not expect such a positive start at Corinthians and recalled the Brazilian Super Cup title won against Flamengo, when he scored one of the goals in the 2-0 victory. The center-back also spoke about the special bond he feels with the Fiel during matches and how intensely he lives the experience of wearing the black-and-white shirt.

“There are days when I stop and think, as if it were a dream, and I can’t believe everything I’m living. Especially at the beginning — arriving and playing in a final, becoming champion, scoring a goal — so for me it was a wonderful start. I dreamed of being here, but not in the way it happened, with such a brilliant start, being able to win a title right away and score a goal. And of course, whenever I’m in the match, especially when the fans do the porópopó at the beginning, I always turn toward the crowd. I don’t know if you’ve noticed that. I’m always there looking at them. Many times the players are gathered there in midfield and I’m over there looking at the fans,” said the player.

“Even my brothers say, ‘Man, what are you doing over there?’ And I say, ‘Man, I don’t know.’ Sometimes it’s as if I switch off a little from being a player, you know? And I just stand there looking at the fans, imagining my brother there, cheering for us, so it’s crazy. I truly live it, for real, especially when the game starts — that’s when the Corinthians spirit really kicks in, and I try to do my best to help Corinthians get the wins,” Gabriel Paulista added.

After coming through the youth ranks at Taboão da Serra, Gabriel Paulista began his professional career at Vitória, where he stood out before moving to Europe in 2013, building a solid career at clubs such as Spain’s Villarreal, England’s Arsenal (where he won two FA Cups), Spain’s Valencia (where he enjoyed his peak and won the Copa del Rey), and more recently Spain’s Atlético de Madrid and Turkey’s Beşiktaş, amassing international experience and major titles before being announced by Corinthians.

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