Hugo Souza on call-up frustration, Corinthians rise and Diniz talks | OneFootball

One of Corinthians’ main standouts in recent seasons, Hugo Souza once again spoke about his current moment at the club, his relationship with Fernando Diniz, and his pursuit of a place in the Brazilian National Team. In an interview with the program Bolívia Talk Show, the goalkeeper opened up about his preparation to save penalties, revealed behind-the-scenes details of the new coach’s arrival, and admitted he was frustrated after being left out of a recent national team call-up.

The No. 1 explained that performance in penalty situations goes beyond intuition and highlighted the analysis work done before matches.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

“I study the penalty takers a lot, and it’s something we always do before games to try to find some kind of pattern. Sometimes it’s the small details that make all the difference. In the Paulista, for example, there was a penalty I saved because of a tiny detail that the staff and I noticed,” he said.

Even with such detailed preparation, Hugo stressed that some spot kicks require instant reading during the game.

“There are guys who are unpredictable. Against Cruzeiro, Portuguesa, and Bragantino, for example, there were takers I hadn’t even watched on video. So it came down a lot to feeling. I think I’m able to combine both things,” he added.

Frustrating call-up became motivation

His strong performances for Corinthians put Hugo Souza on the Brazilian National Team’s radar. The goalkeeper has already been called up by Carlo Ancelotti and said he is not bothered when part of the media and the fans link his presence in the national team only to his penalty-saving ability.

“That doesn’t bother me. If they’re saying I should go to the World Cup, keep saying it. Ancelotti made it clear that I wouldn’t be called up just because of penalties. That’s a bonus, an extra that helps me,” he pointed out.

The keeper also recalled how he felt after being left out of one of the most recent Brazil squads, shortly before the World Cup, and admitted the moment brought sadness at home.

“Of course I was sad. I was watching the call-up with my family and, when my name didn’t come, we felt it. But right away I said: ‘It’s all good. What I have to do is work even harder,’” he revealed.

Hugo said he chose to turn the frustration into fuel to keep improving.

“There’s no point in coming up with theories to comfort myself. I just want to work. If it works out, I have to work even harder. If it doesn’t, I have to work three times as hard so that one day it does work out,” he added.

Hugo praises Fernando Diniz and reveals a conversation unrelated to football

In addition to talking about his individual moment, the goalkeeper spoke about Fernando Diniz’s first days at Corinthians. According to Hugo, the coach quickly won over the squad because of the way he relates to the players.

“When there’s a coaching change, it’s normal to have a different kind of energy. We’re happy to learn from coach Diniz. I had always heard great things about him as a coach and also as a person,” he said.

The goalkeeper also revealed that he was surprised by a private conversation he had with the coach in their very first contacts at CT Joaquim Grava.

“He had a conversation with me that was completely outside the context of football. He talked about things in my life, and it really surprised me. I left the room thinking: ‘Wow, the guy is a psychologist. He’s different,’” he said.

Hugo highlighted that he expected a conversation focused only on tactical matters, but instead found a more human approach.

“He could have talked about the game, about positioning, but he didn’t. He talked to Hugo, not to the goalkeeper. That’s not common in football. Having that kind of support within football makes a difference,” he said.

The focus now is the Libertadores

While he continues to seek a definitive place in the Brazilian National Team, Hugo Souza is also focused on Corinthians, who face Independiente Santa Fe this Wednesday (6) at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time at El Campín Stadium, in the fourth round of the Conmebol Libertadores group stage.

Timão lead Group E with a perfect record and can secure an early spot in the round of 16 with a win in Colombia.

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