Raniele on playing right-back for Corinthians, André's red and Hugo ban | OneFootball

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Newsroom

On the afternoon of last Sunday (26), Corinthians faced Vasco da Gama at Neo Química Arena in a match valid for the 13th round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship, and ended up winning 1-0. The victory put the Corinthians side in 14th place with 15 points — three wins, six draws, and four losses — with nine goals scored and 11 conceded. Left-back Matheus Bidu scored Corinthians’ goal in the 38th minute of the first half.

Right after the final whistle, midfielder Raniele spoke to the press in the mixed zone and analyzed his performance while filling in at right-back. Wearing No. 14, he answered whether he is in the best phase of his career, commented on midfielder André Luiz’s red card near the end of the first half, and responded about the punishment handed to goalkeeper Hugo Souza by the STJD.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

The midfielder, playing at full-back, was one of Corinthians’ main standouts in the match. According to Sofascore, a sports statistics app, he posted the following numbers over the 90 minutes: 1/3 tackles won, 11 defensive actions, four clearances, three interceptions, six ball recoveries, one blocked shot, 9/12 ground duels won, 1/3 aerial duels won, 17/21 accurate passes, 10 carries, three fouls won, 3/4 successful dribbles, and 54 touches.

Check out Raniele’s answers in the mixed zone below:

How did you feel playing out of position at right-back?

“I felt good, I felt comfortable, I had already played that role at other clubs. Here, if I’m not mistaken, at Corinthians I only did it once, it was in a friendly, if I’m not mistaken, there in Londrina. I think it was, against Londrina. I feel good in the role, I feel calm, Diniz gave me all the confidence and asked me how I felt there. I said, guys, don’t expect me to go around nutmegging people, lobbing defenders, but the minimum I can do I’ll do, and thank God it worked out. I’m happy for the trust he gave me, I’m also happy to have contributed, it was a good match and above all we got the win.”

What grade would you give yourself for the match?

“You guys are the ones who give grades. My job is to come here and give my best. I’ve said before when you asked me what it would be like to play as a center-back, I said that regardless of the role, I would give my maximum. And at full-back it’s no different, I’ll give everything for Corinthians and leave it to you to judge and give ratings, because that’s your role.”

André Luiz’s red card and the talk in the locker room with the Son of Terrão

“They’re isolated situations. Sometimes it’s an excess of desire, for example, today on André’s play I agreed that it was a sending-off, but I think it was a moment when we had lost the ball and tried to react right after losing it and win it back quickly. Unfortunately he went a bit over the limit with the force and made that play, but it could have been anyone too. We have to give ourselves fully, we have to do the maximum for Corinthians. And sooner or later that can happen. I hope it doesn’t become as recurring as it has been, because we know how strong we are with ten outfield players. So I think it’s important for us to keep our heads in the right place. Of course, we have to give ourselves fully, we have to give our maximum on the pitch, but I’m not the one to judge, because I’ve been sent off before too. It could happen again, I hope not, but I’ll need the strength of my teammates if it does happen, and that’s what we can do for André. Of course he knows how much it hurts to have one player less. He’s been growing a lot, improving a lot with us, he’s already made the difference, already decided games here for Corinthians, and we have to be by his side.”

“It was already talked about in the locker room, we already spoke with him, we told him that when he was scoring goals, deciding games, being the best player on the field, we were with him, and at this moment when he’s being sent off and these things happen, we’re even more with him. He knows, of course, just as we’re by his side, we also made clear to him how harmful this is for the team, so he’s a kid, we pull his ear a little, but we also give support so he understands how much he can help us, please.”

Was there any taunting of Vasco’s players by bringing up the 2025 Copa do Brasil final?

“No, no, none at all. There was no taunting whatsoever. It’s the way we play, it’s the game that has to be played. We know there’s no way to politely ask to take the ball from anyone, that’s not how it works. Especially against Vasco, they’ve got quick players there, very technical players, so it wasn’t anything personal with anyone, there was no taunting at all. It’s the style of play we have to use, because we know that if you give Brazilian players freedom today, anyone can decide a match, anyone can score, find a pass, so the tighter the challenge, the more organized you are to win the ball from your opponent, the better. So the fouls happen, the referee calls them, the referee knows whether he has to give a card or not, that’s not our problem, but our focus is to win the ball back quickly, to try to press the guys as much as possible so we can recover the ball as much as possible.”

What has been the difference at the start of Fernando Diniz’s work; zero goals conceded

“The main difference I see today is how many people help defend. Today, with eight against the family, we managed to defend well, and in other matches too, against Platense there, everyone running, everyone giving themselves, against Santa Fe when we didn’t have the ball. All ten outfield players behind the ball, so I think that’s hugely important. The first step for us to defend well is for the forwards to be able to press, because we know how much easier the ball comes when there’s pressure up front. So I think that’s our main virtue right now. Everyone running, everyone giving themselves fully, and I hope the team keeps that up this year.”

STJD punishment regarding Hugo Souza

“I don’t know, I don’t know what I can say here, but the only comment I have is that I’ve seen worse comments that weren’t punished, worse comments than what Hugo said that weren’t punished, so I don’t know. I don’t know, honestly sometimes it’s a bit hard to understand, but it comes from above, we have to accept the punishment, we have to serve it, anyway, we have to serve the punishment and say as little as possible, so they make as few mistakes as possible too, since we don’t speak.”

Competition with Matheuzinho and the ‘banter’ with No. 2 over your display against Vasco at full-back

“On the contrary, during training there was a moment this week when we were training there, I was at right-back, and he was there by the side of the pitch giving me tips, telling me what I needed to do, when the ball was in a certain area, whether I needed to tuck in more, whether I needed to stay wider. On the contrary, everyone helps each other here. I’m happy to have filled in for him there, but Mateus is an excellent player, today one of the best in the position in Brazil, and of course, if needed, we also have Pedro, who does the role very well, and if I need to play there, I’ll do it in the best way possible, but at no point do I think he has anything to worry about. I’m happy to have filled in, my position is midfielder, and whatever is needed to help Corinthians, I’ll do it.”

The team’s tactical setup after Fernando Diniz’s sending-off

“We were marking in a 4-4-2, with Garro and Yuri up front, we just took Breno off the wing and moved him inside, and moved Garro, who was up front, out to the wing. Garro gave absolutely everything out there on the wing, helped me a lot to reduce space and increase the pressure on Andrés Gomes and later on Piton when he came in. So that was the adjustment, and everyone knows in their role what they have to do, what they have to fulfill. A minimal adjustment was made, he saw that there was no need to substitute anyone at that moment, then he made changes later, so I think he read the game well, saw well what needed to be done, the changes that had to be made, and I’m happy about that.”

Best moment of your career at Corinthians?

“The best phase of my career is today, man. Tomorrow will be the best day of my life and the day after that will be the best day of my life. I’m living a dream here, I’m happy to be here at Corinthians. It means a lot to me to be here in this place, so yes, I think I’ve fulfilled a dream. I have to fulfill it every day and I hope this dream lasts as long as possible, because when I played against Corinthians here or when I watched on TV, to me this atmosphere was fucking amazing. Every match, for me, makes me really happy and I hope more and more games like this come in my career.”

Pressure from the organized supporters at the training center in early April

“Of course I wouldn’t like to go through that situation. I don’t want to go through it again. We know about the fans’ dissatisfaction and I don’t need anyone pointing a finger in my face to tell me they’re unhappy. But things were said, and they were heard, I heard them. But regardless of whether they said anything or not, I give my best every day. But I’m aware of it. The fact that they went to the training center didn’t make me run one extra kilometer here in the match. No way, on the contrary. What makes me run every day here, what organizes my dream, is being at Corinthians. Obviously. I respect the fans a lot, I have the utmost respect for the organized supporters, who are the ones who make the stadium pulse, who make the stadium sing. I’m not going to say that I agree with that, but if that was their decision, there’s no problem. There was no aggression, nobody touched me, nobody said anything to me. So it’s all fine. But that didn’t make me more dedicated. On the contrary. I still love the fans, my relationship with the supporters is the same, my relationship with the Corinthians shirt is the same, and I believe this episode is something I’ve already forgotten and it won’t leave a stain. I don’t think it stained my image with them, nor theirs with me, so our relationship remains the same and I still identify with the club.”

Kauê Camargo’s performance in goal

“It’s sensational, just like when Kayke came in, we supported him. When André came in and started playing, we supported him, and with Kauê it would be no different. We know he took on enormous responsibility and he’s doing it in the best way. I hope he keeps putting in good performances. He’s a guy who also knows how to play well with his feet, which is another positive point for us. So I’m happy about that. I hope that whenever needed, he keeps delivering good matches and that we keep this group united with them. Because we know how important it is for the academy boys to be coming up. What matters is for them to play in a good moment. So I’m happy for Kauê. Congratulations to him for the match, and to everyone.”

How the squad is adapting to Fernando Diniz’s style of play

“We’ve already had time to implement a few things in our match, in our game. Of course, we have very little time to train. One day is for recovery, the next day we go to the pitch and there isn’t a heavy load to work with, and the day after that it’s already matchday again. So he’s been passing things on gradually, showing a lot of video, showing a lot of what he tries to do. But we’re already trying to take that on, we’re already trying to do, at times, some of the moves he asks for, some of the situations he asks for. And the tendency is only to improve, and I hope we can change these situations.”

Projection for the players’ physical condition for this Thursday’s match (30), against Peñarol-URU, at home, in the third round of the Libertadores

“Man, I hope better than today. We’ve got three days there to train, to work. We’ve been making good use of it, we’ve been doing it the way he thinks is best and we’ve adapted well to that. I hope we can arrive with plenty of energy for the match. I’ve said here before, there will be Libertadores matches that won’t be games full of beauty. We’re not going to go around nutmegging people, lobbing defenders, and passing it around inside the box. Some games won’t be like that. I hope the fans understand, but that we also do our best so that at the end of the match we come away with those three points, no matter what the game looks like. Football can be won in all sorts of ways, and I hope that regardless of the way it goes, we can come away with the three points.”

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