São Paulo face Corinthians in 2026 after turmoil and instability

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Central do Timão

·18 janvier 2026

São Paulo face Corinthians in 2026 after turmoil and instability

By Vinícios Cotrim | Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians will have their first derby of the season this Sunday (18th), in a match against São Paulo at the Neo Química Arena, at 4 PM (Brasília time). Although it's for the third round of the first phase of the Paulistão, the Morumbi club is going through a delicate moment, coming from an unstable 2025 and facing a political crisis involving controversies with the president.

Even after winning in the second round, the topic that stirred the São Paulo world was the impeachment process with the suspended president Júlio Casares. The club's Deliberative Council decided to proceed with the removal of the executive leader, leaving São Paulo with an interim president since Friday night.

Vidéos OneFootball

Photo: Rubens Chiri and Paulo Pinto/Saopaulofc.net

Moreover, São Paulo did not have a good 2025. Even with an eighth place in the Brasileirão, which had moments of instability during the campaign, the team failed to qualify for the Libertadores, which means a blow to the budget, as the prize for the Copa Sudamericana is lower.

In the Paulistão, the championship started negatively. In the first round, Tricolor suffered a 3-0 defeat to Mirassol but managed to recover in the following round, when they defeated São Bernardo away. However, the balance remains negative, leaving the club below Corinthians in the standings.

There will be four absences for São Paulo in this match: Alisson (in negotiations with Corinthians), Ryan (left knee surgery), André Silva (right knee injury), and Luan (physical transition after a right adductor injury).

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