What I Would Be If I Were Not Corinthians | OneFootball

From childhood, a single question lingered: what would I be without Corinthians? For years it felt unanswerable, because the club was stitched into every part of my life.

According to Meu Timao, this is a personal reflection on identity bound to Corinthians. I learned to argue for the club without lowering my head, leaning on history when the present fell short, and never flinching at mentions of the stadium or the Libertadores title.

Corinthians has always felt bigger than the pitch, a living thread through family gatherings, rooftop barbecues and the racket of my neighbourhood. It stood for struggle and resistance when officialdom did not, a spirit I first heard echoed in rap.

To me, the club holds singular sporting feats, helped popularise football in São Paulo and across Brazil, advanced inclusion on and off the pitch, led fights against racism and for gender equality, and acted as a megaphone for voices demanding democracy. A colossus, a phenomenon.

I fell for its history and the supporters’ devotion, and I became one of the faithful. I shivered with each win and raged or wept with each loss, in that unmistakable Corinthians way.

After all I have lived, learned and written, I finally know. If I were not Corinthians, I would be sad, very sad, far too sad.

Source: Meu Timao

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”