Diniz relishes Corinthians move, unfazed by pressure: ‘I feel welcome’ | OneFootball

Fernando Diniz was presented as Corinthians’ new head coach this Tuesday, in a press conference held at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava. The coach, who previously played for the club, celebrated the agreement with Timão after some failed negotiations and is not intimidated by the external pressure surrounding the team’s poor run of form.

“It’s an immense joy to be here. I was born in Minas Gerais and moved to São Paulo when I was nine months old. I’ve always lived on the outskirts of the East Zone. After I got married, I always lived in Tatuapé. My entire coaching career has been preparation to reach this moment. I know the challenge of coaching Corinthians. I’ve been close to coaching the club other times, but I think this is the moment when I’m most prepared. I already played here and was part of a winning team in 1997. For me, it’s a great joy. I’m very motivated,” said the manager.

“[Pressure] is completely normal for a fan base the size of Corinthians’. The players have to learn how to play for Corinthians, and I have to learn how to be Corinthians’ coach. We have to take something positive from this and bring wins. Winning games is the only way to calm our fans,” he added.

(Photo: André Costa/Gazeta Press)

Despite the negative reaction on social media, Diniz feels welcomed by Corinthians. He believes his profile is compatible with the club and thinks the project “has everything it needs to work out.”

“I feel welcomed and motivated. I see a lot of people excited. I have a connection with Corinthians because of my restless way of being, because of the courage to make things happen. We have everything it takes to make this work. Tite was heavily rejected — remember what it was like after the elimination against Tolima? The fans are doing their part, and we have to do ours. I work internally to do my best and win games, and also to lift trophies, if possible,” he said.

Diniz’s pillars

Diniz revealed the pillars of his work that he refuses to compromise on: desire, solidarity, and courage to play. He said he usually adapts to the squad he has at his disposal and intends to put the best players on the field, regardless of the tactical plan.

“I’m always adapting to the squads I have. My idea is always to put the best players on the field. The important thing is to have players with confidence and courage. They tell me how to build the team, both in attack and in defense,” he explained.

“The main characteristics of the teams I coach are having a lot of desire, courage, and being supportive of one another. That can’t be missing. The rest we’ll build little by little. No tactic will overcome desire. We have to radiate courage from the start. This is a team that two months ago was winning, and everything changed. They haven’t forgotten how to play — there’s a lot of potential in this team that we have to recover,” he concluded.

Winning mentality

Diniz plans to instill a winning mentality in the Corinthians squad. The coach wants to leave behind the titles won in recent months in order to rebuild the team’s connection with the fans.

“Every day is a day to compete for titles. That’s part of who I am, of how I think about life. You don’t win the title in the final — you win it today, tomorrow. That’s what I did at Fluminense, and I started doing it here today. Corinthians needs to think about titles every day. It’s a privilege to be here. It’s a gigantic club, with a fan base that needs no introduction. We have to work to be a team that matches the size of the fans. That is our biggest challenge. We have to learn from the fans how to be like them,” he concluded.

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Corinthians decided to dismiss Dorival Júnior after the loss to Internacional on Sunday night at Neo Química Arena. Winner of the Copa do Brasil and the Supercopa, the experienced coach could not survive a run of nine matches without a win.

Fernando Diniz, meanwhile, had been available on the market since leaving Vasco in February this year. The manager has also had spells at Votoraty, Botafogo-SP, Paulista, Atlético Sorocaba, Guaratinguetá, Paraná, Oeste, Osasco Audax, Athletico-PR, São Paulo, Santos, Fluminense, and Cruzeiro. He has won seven titles throughout his career, including the 2023 Copa Libertadores.

The coach’s first challenge in charge of Corinthians will be this Thursday. Timão will face Platense at 9 p.m. (Brasília time) at Estadio Ciudad de Vicente López, in Buenos Aires, in their Libertadores group-stage opener.

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