André Ramalho hails Corinthians defence, rues injuries after draw | OneFootball

After the goalless draw against Athletico at Neo Química Arena, center-back André Ramalho spoke in the mixed zone and commented on the current situation at Corinthians. The defender highlighted the team’s defensive improvement, avoided talking about favoritism in the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil, lamented his teammates’ injuries, and also commented on the condition of the pitch at the Alvinegro club’s home stadium.

Speaking about Corinthians’ defensive performance after the break for the World Cup, André credited the improvement to the work done by Fernando Diniz and stressed that the merit belongs to the whole team, both in defending and in building attacking plays.

Rodrigo Coca/Corinthians Agency

“That is our goal. Fernando has been warning us about this and working a lot on this aspect. Once we stop conceding goals, the chance of winning is much greater. Of course everyone knows that, but we are putting it into practice.”

The No. 5 also praised Corinthians’ performance against Athletico. According to him, even with a heavily changed lineup and some makeshift choices in the team selection, Timão managed to neutralize one of the main attacks in the Brazilian Championship.

“Athletico are among the top teams in the league. They are one of the best teams in the Brasileirão, they had one of the competition’s top scorers, and we managed to neutralize their qualities very well. I think they practically created no scoring chances. We had the best opportunities, we were the better team overall, both defensively and offensively.”

Favorites in the Copa do Brasil?

Asked about the clash against Internacional in the Copa do Brasil round of 16, André preferred not to point to a favorite and recalled Corinthians’ campaign in last year’s edition of the competition.

“I think that, especially when it comes to cup competitions, that kind of question doesn’t really apply. We’re talking about just two matches, where anything can happen. If we remember what happened to us last year, that’s a good example. We were not the favorites, that’s the truth. At several moments very few people believed in us, and we ended up becoming champions.”

The center-back also commented on Corinthians’ progress compared to last season. For him, keeping the core of the squad together has been crucial to the team’s growth.

“A lot of people underestimate how much a team improves the longer it plays together. The chemistry grows, the players get to know each other better, and things happen naturally.”

André said the team needs to maintain the consistency shown in recent matches in order to keep fighting for the top spots and for titles.

“We want to look up, not down anymore. We are conceding few goals, winning games, and being a more consistent team. That’s what we need to maintain, while trying to improve every day so we can fight for titles in every competition, because that is what the Corinthians shirt demands.”

Injuries

Another topic addressed was the string of injuries in the squad. The defender lamented the situations involving Zakaria Labyad and Yuri Alberto, who left the match against Athletico with physical problems, and wished his teammates a speedy recovery.

“It’s a sad situation. Whenever a player gets injured, especially when there is a possibility that it could be something more serious, we get very shaken. We hope and pray that the tests show the least possible damage for both of them and that they can return as soon as possible.”

André also commented on Vitinho’s new injury, as he will undergo surgery on his left knee after suffering a meniscus injury.

“It was a surprise to everyone. He was already training with us, had taken part in some of the activities, and was in the transition phase. The next day, we found out it would require surgery. We’re very sad about it. He’s a fantastic guy, a great player. I’m sure he’ll come back even stronger.”

Assessing the performance of the alternative lineup used by Fernando Diniz against Athletico, the center-back praised the strength of the squad and stressed that everyone needs to be ready to seize their opportunities.

“I think we played a great match. It was an almost completely changed team, with some makeshift choices, but everyone fulfilled their role very well. We executed the game plan that had been given to us before the match.”

“It’s up to us to work every day so that we are ready when the opportunity comes. It is a privilege to wear this shirt.”

Pitch

Lastly, André Ramalho commented on the condition of the Neo Química Arena pitch. The defender acknowledged that the field still is not in ideal condition after the turf replacement, but expressed confidence in its recovery and said it remains one of the best in the country.

“We actually already pointed it out, ever since the training session we had before matches resumed, that it needs to improve. They need a certain amount of time. I’m sure they are working on it. But, as I’ve already said, this pitch, even like this, is still much better than any synthetic one and much better than 90% of the pitches in Brazil.”

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