Paz cites no progress, justifies Dorival sack: “Hit a ceiling” | OneFootball

Corinthians football executive Corinthians, Marcelo Paz spoke publicly this Sunday shortly after the club announced the dismissal of head coach Dorival Júnior. The executive justified the decision by Corinthians’ top brass and cited the nine-game winless run, with four defeats and five draws, as the main reason for the coach’s departure.

“We came to reiterate, out of respect for everyone, and to confirm the discontinuation of Dorival Júnior’s work and that of his staff. We would like to express our gratitude for the effort, for the results, and for the titles that remain etched in the club’s history. However, together with the presidency, we understood that the work had reached its ceiling. There was really no more technical progress. Nine games without a win is a lot for Corinthians. A drop in performance, the team could no longer finish the way we wanted, defeats at home,” Paz explained.

Corinthians’ board was also dissatisfied with the team’s below-par performances even after longer training periods, such as the recent FIFA international break, when Timão had a week to prepare and then lost 3-1 to Fluminense at the Maracanã. The lack of productivity in the final third was a factor that weighed on the decision. Against Inter, for example, the team created only one clear scoring chance.

“We tried to give the necessary time for corrections to be made; there were longer training periods, the FIFA date, elimination in the Paulista. We sought to give all the necessary time for things to be corrected so that a change would not be necessary. But football is about results, and the results did not come. Nine games is a long stretch. Dorival understood it; the president and I spoke with him. He acknowledged it was a long period and that the team’s output had not been ideal. Because of that, there was already visible anxiety among the players, in their actions on the field, an emotional issue in not being able to carry out what had been trained. And decisions need to be made. With respect, maturity, but thinking about what is best for Corinthians. It was time to make a change, get back to winning, and bring back the fans’ joy,” the director said.

Corinthians still drawing up targets, says Paz

Corinthians have not yet defined targets to replace Dorival Júnior, according to the executive. That was one of the reasons why he preferred to make only a statement rather than hold a full press conference for the media present at Neo Química Arena.

The fact is that Corinthians will need to move quickly if they do not want to begin the Copa Libertadores without a new manager. Timão make their debut in the continental competition this Thursday at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time, away from home, against Argentina’s Platense.

“When I arrived here, the fans were chanting ‘champions.’ We started the year well with the title against Flamengo, but after that things did not go as they should have. We have to have the attitude and courage to change course, get back on the path of victories, and do so with enough time to achieve the club’s objectives for the season, which are major: to win titles, bring joy to the fans, and finish the year strongly,” Paz said.

“We will now begin the work of finding a new coach to be with us, prepare for Thursday’s match against Platense, and be at the training ground as soon as possible to start working. The president and I will begin the process of choosing Corinthians’ new leadership. The conversation was mature, truthful, transparent, but there was conviction. We will work and look for a new coach to bring back Corinthians’ football and deliver what the fans expect, which is victories and titles,” the executive concluded.

League table situation

The result was awful for Corinthians, who saw their winless run grow to nine matches, with four defeats and five draws in that span. Timão also dropped places in the table and moved closer to the relegation zone. The black-and-white side sit 16th with 10 points — two more than Chapecoense, who currently open the bottom four.

Corinthians’ upcoming matches

Platense-ARG x Corinthians (first round of the Libertadores) Date and time: 04/09 (Thursday), at 9 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Estadio Ciudad de Vicente Lopez, in Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Corinthians x Palmeiras (11th round of the Brasileirão) Date and time: 04/12 (Sunday), at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Neo Química Arena, in São Paulo (SP)

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