Hugo Souza on racism in Argentina and Memphis exit after Corinthians draw | OneFootball

The goalless draw between Corinthians and Rosario Central on Thursday night (13), in the first leg of the Conmebol Libertadores round of 16, was marked by a regrettable episode off the pitch. After the match at Gigante de Arroyito Stadium, goalkeeper Hugo Souza reported that he was the target of racist abuse from the stands and called for Conmebol to take action to combat this type of behavior.

In the mixed zone, the player said the abuse began during the warm-up and continued throughout the match. According to Hugo, Rosario Central players themselves noticed the situation and even apologized for the attitude of some of the fans. In addition to the racism episode, the goalkeeper spoke about the difficulty of staying focused during the match, assessed the team’s defensive performance, commented on Memphis Depay’s departure, and looked ahead to the decisive second leg for a place in the quarterfinals, which will take place at Neo Química Arena.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Asked first about the racist abuse, Hugo gave a long statement and demanded action from the body responsible for the competition.

“I think what I’m going to say will be very similar to what I said after the game. Every time we play here, this happens. I think it’s very explicit. It wasn’t just me who heard it; everyone near the goal heard it. It happened from the start of the game, during the warm-up, it was already happening. And the players even apologized to me for the fans’ behavior. And I want to express my thanks to them here, because it wasn’t something the Rosario team players did, it was something the fans did, which unfortunately happens often. And we have to try to stay focused on the game so that it doesn’t affect us.

I don’t know what goes through their heads. I don’t know if they think they’re more than us, more human than us, better than us. But I hope that one day this really changes. And that they can reflect and understand that they’re not better than anyone. And that everyone is human, everyone is fighting for what they want, for what they dream of. And they’re celebrating for their team. When they go to Brazil, our fans will definitely put on an even better show. But this won’t happen (racism). So I hope someone, that Conmebol, can take action so that one day this really comes to an end.”

Hugo explains how he stayed focused

Despite what happened, Hugo Souza stayed on the field and was important in helping Corinthians finish the match without conceding a goal. Speaking about the mental aspect, the goalkeeper explained that he tried to separate the incident from what was happening on the pitch.

“I’m someone who values that a lot. I think the mental side is extremely important. And we have to know how to separate things and understand that we came here with the goal of not conceding. And of course we wanted the win to take an advantage home. But we got an important result. Not conceding away from home, against a team that was aggressive, that managed to put the ball into our box, managed to push us back. We defended very well. I think we had very solid performances, both, I mean, individually. And well, to take this result home, which was an important result. And what I had to do was stay focused on the game. I knew the team would need me at some point. I think that made all the difference for me.”

Memphis Depay’s departure

Another topic addressed in the mixed zone was Memphis Depay’s departure. The Dutchman left Corinthians after his contract ended, and Hugo revealed that the players received the news when the club itself made the decision public.

“We got the information, I think, the same way everyone else did. When the club made its statement, we know Memphis’ quality, we know how important he was to our team. He’s a great player, with everything he’s done in football, with everything he’s achieved in his career. But these are things we can’t control. It’s something for the club, for the board. And the only thing we have to do is wish him luck in his career and thank him for everything he helped us with.”

After that, Hugo was asked whether the striker’s departure could affect the team’s planning, especially because Fernando Diniz had previously expressed the expectation of having Memphis in the Libertadores.

“Well, that planning isn’t ours. It belongs to the coach and the board. So I think they have to do what they believe is best for the club, and we just have to respect the club’s decision.”

Decision at Neo Química Arena

With the 0-0 draw in Argentina, qualification will be decided in Itaquera. A win by any score puts Corinthians into the quarterfinals. If there is another draw, the tie will go to penalties. Hugo highlighted the squad’s recent experience in knockout matches and showed confidence in Corinthians’ ability to impose themselves in front of their home crowd.

“I think we’ve become more and more established as a team that knows how to play this kind of game. And, well, we’re not always going to win. Like in the Copa do Brasil, we ended up being eliminated. But even so, we played a much better second leg than the first one.

And I hope we can impose our game at home, with the strength of our fans, so that we can go after qualification. We have every condition to draw their team into our game, go after the goals, go after qualification. I think our team is very comfortable with that. And we know exactly what we need to do so that we can secure qualification at home.”

Possible penalty and memory of Di María

During the first half, the referee was called to the VAR monitor to review a possible penalty for Rosario Central. The penalty was not awarded, but Hugo revealed that he had already started preparing for a possible kick. The goalkeeper also recalled a save from a penalty taken by Ángel Di María.

“When it went to VAR, I isolated myself there. I went into my moment of concentration. I imagined the referee might give the penalty, especially because he went to VAR. It wasn’t a penalty, I think it was very clear that it wasn’t a penalty. But if he had given it, I was there ready to do my part. And, God willing, I hope there won’t be one, but if there is, I hope it has the same outcome as last time.”

Defensive improvement under Fernando Diniz

Finally, Hugo Souza was asked about the defensive performance shown by Corinthians under Fernando Diniz. The goalkeeper credited the improvement to the work done in training and the players’ response on the field.

“He’s someone we have to thank a lot. Obviously. He trains us a lot, we work intensely so that we can be very strong with the ball, but even stronger without it. And I think the results are there. This season, maybe, if I’m not mistaken—I could be wrong, sorry—but I think this season I’m the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets. In the Brasileirão too, I’m the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets.

And that’s become a hallmark of our team, it has been our hallmark, going through games with a clean sheet. And that’s a lot about what he demands, a lot about what he works on, and a lot about what the team is also able to deliver on the field. I think it’s a combination: his work, our understanding, and our execution on the pitch. So everyone deserves congratulations. May we continue becoming an even more solid, more consistent team, and concede fewer goals.”

Before facing Rosario Central again in the second leg of the round of 16, Corinthians will turn their attention back to the Brazilian Championship. Next Sunday (16), at 7:30 p.m. Brasília time, Timão host Cruzeiro at Neo Química Arena in the 23rd round.

Corinthians currently sit seventh in the Brasileirão with 32 points, from eight wins, eight draws, and six losses. The team has scored 24 goals and conceded 20 so far.

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