Gabriel Paulista on pain and adapting to Corinthians’ packed run | OneFootball

At 35, Gabriel Paulista has established himself as one of Corinthians’ most ever-present players in 2026. A frequent starter in Fernando Diniz’s defense, the center-back has made 39 appearances and logged 3,624 minutes on the pitch this season, making him the fifth-most used player in the squad this year.

The run marks the highest number of matches played by the defender in a single season since 2019/20, when he was still with Valencia in Spain. The numbers carry even more weight given a reality the player himself admits he is dealing with: pain, physical wear and tear, and the need to manage his body amid the Brazilian schedule.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca / Agência Corinthians

In an exclusive interview with Globo Esporte, Gabriel said that on certain occasions he takes the field without being fully recovered from the previous match, especially when there is little time between games and travel.

“There are matches when we play through the pain. Sometimes we play on a Thursday and then again on Sunday. After that, it’s an away game and we don’t have time to recover. So we end up playing through the pain.”

The defender also explained that the discomfort takes a back seat once the match starts, although it can still affect him physically over the 90 minutes.

“When we step onto the pitch, we forget the pain, we forget everything, but sometimes you feel the physical fatigue more or certain aches that keep you from performing better. It’s part of the madness of playing one game after another,” he said.

Return to Brazil required adaptation

The routine Gabriel Paulista found at Corinthians also represented a significant change. Developed at Vitória, the center-back left Brazilian football in 2013 and spent more than a decade playing in Europe.

During that period, he played for Villarreal, Arsenal, Valencia, Atlético de Madrid, and Besiktas. His time abroad ended at the start of this year, when he terminated his contract with the Turkish club to complete his move to Corinthians, a team he had already said he supports.

After so many years away from the country, Gabriel revealed that he noticed important differences in the physical aspect. Among the main points he mentioned were the length of the trips and the shorter recovery time available between matches.

“I really felt it physically and I spoke with the Corinthians staff to help me in some way. It was more a matter of adapting—the pitch is different, and there’s this crazy travel schedule that you don’t have in Europe. There, the trips are shorter and there’s more time to rest.”

The center-back also highlighted the support he has received at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava to get through the run of matches. For Gabriel, nutrition and rest were essential in the process, especially because he had been struggling to maintain physical consistency in recent seasons in European football.

“Here (in Brazil), you don’t have as much time, you’re hardly at home. Corinthians’ structure has helped me a lot with nutrition and rest so I can put together a good run. I’m happy! In Europe I went through a phase when I couldn’t manage two or three games in a row, I always had some kind of physical problem. Here in Brazil I’ve been able to put together this good run,” he celebrated.

Workload management is part of the daily routine at the training center

Despite his constant presence in matches, Gabriel Paulista does not always take part fully in all squad activities. The coaching staff and club professionals use workload management in certain training sessions to handle the defender’s wear and tear.

Recently, the No. 3 took a blow to the hip and ended up missing the match against Cruzeiro, as well as some on-field sessions during that period.

According to Gabriel himself, however, the situation did not amount to a new injury. After the issue, the defender was able to play normally in the matches against Rosario Central, Coritiba, and Santos.

“It wasn’t an injury, it wasn’t anything serious. I played against Rosario, Coritiba, and Santos without any problem. As I said, we’re going to feel tiredness and pain, but nothing that’s going to keep us out of games,” the center-back added.

Gabriel Paulista, however, will not be able to extend his run this weekend. The defender received his third yellow card in the derby against Santos and will have to serve an automatic suspension against Chapecoense.

Without the No. 3, Fernando Diniz will need to alter his defensive setup for this Sunday’s match (6) at 7:30 p.m. Brasília time, at Neo Química Arena, in the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship.

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