Dorival Júnior hits 1,000 games as Corinthians boss in Copa do Brasil | OneFootball

The coach Dorival Júnior reached a very special milestone in Corinthians' victory over Atlético-MG last Saturday in the Campeonato Brasileiro. At 63 years old and with experience in various clubs, the coach completed 1,000 games in his career.

The milestone was celebrated by Corinthians. President Osmar Stabile and football executive Fabinho Soldado presented two tributes from the club to the coach: a personalized jersey with the number 1,000 and a commemorative plaque for the impressive career numbers.

In total, Dorival has managed 21 clubs in Brazil. From the current Série A, for example, the coach has trained 14 of the 20 teams, accumulating great experiences and a strong knowledge of national football. Not surprisingly, before being hired by Corinthians, he was on Santos' radar.

Recently, in his last job before taking over Timão, Dorival reached the pinnacle of a coach's career: managing the Brazilian National Team. Despite the below-par results, the coach can boast of having had the experience of training the five-time world champion Canarinho, even if for a short period.

The coach also has an extensive list of trophies, with 13 achievements in total. Among the main titles are the Paulista Championships of 2010 and 2016, the Brazil Cups of 2010, 2022, and 2023, as well as the 2022 Copa Libertadores with Flamengo.

Early experiences as a coach

Dorival began his coaching career in less prominent clubs. His first job was leading Ferroviária, with a brief stint that lasted only eight matches.

Subsequently, Dorival took charge of Figueirense, a club where he stayed for two seasons. In 2005, the coach had spells with three teams: Fortaleza (one game), Criciúma (seven games), and Juventude (three games).

In 2006, the scenario repeated itself. Dorival spent most of the season at Sport, where he accumulated 19 wins in 37 games. That same year, the coach also managed Avaí and São Caetano. In the following years, he also had stints with Cruzeiro, Vasco, and Coritiba.

(Photo: Publicity/Flickr Vasco)

Career consolidation

It was in 2010, with his good work at Santos, that Dorival Júnior's career began to consolidate. In that season, under the coach's command, Peixe achieved 36 wins, seven draws, and only 15 losses.

That year, still as Santos' coach, Dorival led the team from Baixada Santista to two significant titles: the Paulista Championship and the Brazil Cup. However, he ended up leaving the club after a controversy with Neymar.

Following his success at the São Paulo club, Dorival began receiving more inquiries from other major Brazilian football clubs. Between 2011 and 2014, he coached teams like Internacional, Flamengo, Vasco, Fluminense, and Palmeiras.

Between 2015 and 2017, he returned to Santos for another successful stint. In 2015, he helped Peixe avoid relegation and finished as runner-up in the Brazil Cup. In 2016, he helped the Santos team win another Paulista Championship and finish the Brasileirão as runner-up, having the second-best campaign.

Dorival Júnior at Santos in 2016 (Photo: Ricardo Saibun/ Santos FC)

More recent work

Dorival Júnior's more recent work alternated between Flamengo (two more stints in 2018 and 2022), São Paulo (two stints between 2017 and 2018 and 2023), Athletico-PR (2020), and Ceará (2022). He also managed the Brazilian National Team in 2024.

In recent years, the coach continued to have success in most of his work. At Athletico-PR, he won the Paraná Championship. In his third stint with Flamengo, in 2022, he helped win the Brazil Cup and the Libertadores. Finally, at São Paulo in 2023, he lifted the unprecedented Brazil Cup trophy.

The stint with the Brazilian National Team, however, was not as expected. Despite positive numbers, the football presented by Brazil was lacking. In charge of Canarinho, Dorival had seven wins, seven draws, and two losses in 16 matches. In his introductory press conference at Corinthians, Dorival mentioned that he "believed a lot" in his work with Amarelinha.

"I believed a lot in the growth this team could have, and fluctuations happen. The National Team was undergoing a restructuring process, quite different from what happens here [at Corinthians]. The team achieved a great result and then had a drop, emotionally speaking, which is a natural fact. I still believed a lot that this work within the National Team would yield results. The time for work is a bit different, and immediacy is part of my profession, and I have to understand all of this," the coach said.

The stint at Corinthians

Dorival was announced as the new coach of Corinthians on April 28, 2025. So far, the coach has had a stint with ups and downs, but he had to deal with a high number of absences and did what he does best: giving opportunities to young players from the academy, such as Gui Negão, André, Dieguinho, and Kayke.

With Dorival, Corinthians was eliminated from the Copa Sudamericana in the group stage. On the other hand, Timão is in the semifinals of the Brazil Cup, a competition in which the coach has a positive history. In the Brasileirão, the club is in 12th place on the table, with 36 points, and has breathed against relegation.

For Corinthians, Dorival and his coaching staff have accumulated 31 games, with 13 wins, nine draws, and nine losses, totaling a 51.6% success rate. They scored 32 goals and conceded 27.

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