Kayke hails debut goal and Fernando Diniz's faith | OneFootball

Scorer of one of the goals in Corinthians’ 2-0 win over Platense in the opening round of the Conmebol Libertadores group stage, forward Kayke Ferrari spoke to the press in the mixed zone after the match. The youngster celebrated the moment he is experiencing, his first start in the competition, and the confidence shown in him by coach Fernando Diniz.

The striker in the black-and-white shirt commented on the goal-scoring play and revealed that he also noticed the similarity to a memorable moment in the club’s recent history.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca / Corinthians

“I think the guys had mentioned it too. I think it was a great pass from Garro. And I was able to finish it well, and I do think it looked very similar, but in a different game situation,” he began.

Kayke also highlighted the importance of the confidence given by the coach right in his very first match in charge of the team, a factor he considered decisive for his performance on the field.

“I think he gave us total confidence, and that’s very important, especially in the first game, in a Libertadores match, my first Libertadores game. And I think that was essential for me to perform today.”

The forward also spoke about what the squad has gone through in recent days, marked by changes and outside pressure, and stressed the need to stay focused on the work.

“Man, I think we have to keep our heads in the right place, and we understand the fans too, because we also really want to get out of this situation. And I think what we have to do is work, keep working so that, like today, we can get a great win and so that more wins will come.”

About the experience of playing in the Libertadores, Kayke spoke about the different atmosphere and the emotion of playing away from home, especially in Argentina.

“Man, it’s completely different, especially here playing in Argentina, but I think I was calm. Obviously, there’s some anxiety because you want to play right away, but I think he gave us a lot of confidence, the players also gave me a lot of confidence, and that was essential.”

The player also revealed details of his conversation with Fernando Diniz before the match and recalled a curious coincidence involving the coach’s son.

“When he told me I was going to start, he immediately gave me complete confidence. And, as I said, that was essential for me. And about his son, I think we really did play together at Penha. He mentioned that to me before. And it’s a very cool story, right? Because today he’s also my coach here. I’m very happy.”

Finally, Kayke analyzed the differences in the style of play implemented by the new coach and highlighted the approach presented to the squad for the match.

“I think his game is completely different, right? And he told us… for us to play our game like we did today, we managed to execute it well, which is strong marking. And to take advantage of the chances when we got there, to stay calm. And he also gave us a lot of confidence,” he concluded.

With the result, Corinthians begin their Libertadores campaign with three points and gain confidence for the rest of the season, now under Fernando Diniz’s command.

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