Dorival lifts the lid on his relationship with Memphis at Corinthians | OneFootball

The coach of Corinthians, Dorival Júnior, opened up and shared details about his relationship with forward Memphis Depay in an exclusive interview with Gazeta Esportiva. The Dutch player has been involved in controversies off the field since his arrival at Timão.

Dorival states that his relationship with the star is “calm.” He said he has never had problems with any player and describes Memphis as a “polite, well-mannered” person. The coach also praised the technical ability of the number 10.

“Very calm. Thank God, I have never had problems on a day-to-day basis with athletes in general, and it wouldn't be different with Memphis. He is a well-mannered, polite guy, in addition to the technical ability he possesses,” declared the coach.

(Photo: André da Silva Costa/Gazeta Press)

Memphis has never had a public clash with Dorival, but he has been the target of recent criticism due to his behavior off the pitch. At the beginning of July, he missed a Corinthians training session without notifying because of a delay in bonus payment.

Additionally, there were rumors that the Dutchman was upset about an early return after the penultimate FIFA date. On that occasion, he started against Athletico-PR just days after playing for the Netherlands national team and suffered a thigh edema that kept him off the field for almost a month.

Welcomed by the team

Dorival also feels welcome by the Corinthians team. The coach highlighted the environment within the CT Dr. Joaquim Grava and appreciated the shielding work of the football executive Fabinho Soldado amidst the club's turbulent backstage.

“In general, I am very satisfied with the way this team has welcomed me, believing in what we are proposing. We notice a great evolution, a well-defined work within the CT, under Fabinho's command, always seeking the best conditions for our team and challenging the players to continue this evolution,” he commented.

Dorival with Corinthians

Multi-champion and experienced, Dorival was hired by Corinthians in April, before the management change from Augusto Melo to Osmar Stabile. So far, there have been 16 wins, nine draws, and nine losses in 34 matches played – 55.8% success rate.

Next Corinthians match

G6 in sight

Corinthians is experiencing a moment of ascension in the Brazilian Championship. Dorival Júnior's team has strung together a sequence of three consecutive victories and is in the fight for a spot in the 2026 Libertadores. Timão is in tenth place on the standings, with 42 points, six points behind Botafogo, which opens the G6.

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