Vitória honour Corinthians defender ahead of Brasileirão clash | OneFootball

On the night of this Saturday (18), Corinthians are facing Vitória at Barradão Stadium in a match valid for the 12th round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship. Currently, the Alvinegro sit in 16th place with 11 points earned — two wins, five draws and four losses — with eight goals scored and 11 conceded.

Before the match, Vitória paid tribute to 35-year-old center-back Gabriel Paulista, who came through the youth ranks of the northeastern club. He made his professional debut for Leão in 2010, being part of the squad that finished as runner-up in that year’s Copa do Brasil, losing to Santos in the final. He even faced Corinthians on three occasions, with two losses and one draw.

Photo: Costta Filho

Wearing Vitória’s shirt, he made 142 appearances, scored seven goals and won three titles: the Campeonato Baiano (2010 and 2013) and the Copa do Nordeste (2010). Later, after standing out and becoming a regular starter, he was sold to Villarreal of Spain, beginning his standout journey in European football.

Soon after, he also played for: Arsenal (England), Valencia (Spain), Atlético de Madrid (Spain) and Beşiktaş (Turkey). At the beginning of this year, he terminated his contract with the Turkish club and returned to Brazilian football to play for Corinthians, his childhood favorite team. So far, he has been an undisputed starter for Timão, totaling 17 matches (15 in the starting eleven), with seven wins, four draws and six losses — 49.02% — and two goals scored.

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