Central do Timão
·26 February 2026
Tchoca takes a swipe at Torino, hails his comeback at Corinthians

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Yahoo sportsCentral do Timão
·26 February 2026

The scorer of Corinthians' goal in the 1-1 draw with Cruzeiro at Mineirão, during the fourth round of the Brazilian Championship, defender João Pedro Tchoca gave an interview in the mixed zone after the match and opened up about the situation involving the failed transfer to Torino, Italy.
Initially, Tchoca explained his goal celebration, in which he mimicked a bull—a reference to the Italian team's mascot—and then pointed to the Corinthians' crest: “It's simply because I'm happy here at Corinthians, regardless of whether I wanted to leave or stay. God wanted me to stay, and I'm very happy, that's it.”

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians
The defender also noted that Torino was aware of his medical history, including the surgery on his left knee performed during his youth career, but emphasized that the decision made by the Italian club does not reflect reality.
“So, when they signed me, they already knew I had surgery on my left knee. I think it says more about them than about me because, as I've said in other interviews, I'm fine. Two days later, I was on the field against Capivariano, and it's already my third game playing 90 minutes. I'm very well physically, I'm happy, and I just hope to contribute to Corinthians throughout the season.”
Finally, Tchoca revealed that conversations with Dorival Jr., after his return to Brazil, boosted his confidence to continue at Corinthians.
“It was a personal experience for me. I went there, traveled, stayed for a week, came back, and on the second day after my arrival, Dorival talked to me, told me to forget about it, that it was over, and that my return was like a signing, he gave me total confidence. This, without a doubt, was very good for me, to get back on the field with confidence, with my mind 100% on Corinthians, and that's what's important,” concluded the defender.
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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.







































