Corinthians back in first training, midfielder has his say | OneFootball

Throughout this Thursday (25), at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava, Corinthians players returned to training with an eye on the rest of the season, which will include the second half of the Brasileirão, as well as the knockout stages of the Copa do Brasil and the Conmebol Libertadores. Timão had almost a month off since the last time they took the field, on May 30, when they beat Grêmio away from home in the Brazilian Championship.

The Corinthians squad began the day in the Flexform Briefing Room. There, football executive Marcelo Paz and head coach Fernando Diniz spoke with the players. Later, after a warm-up session in the gym, the players went out onto the pitch, where they completed a four-station workout: possession drills, intermittent running with changes of direction, finishing, and interval running. The coaching staff also organized an attack-versus-defense transition exercise.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

In an interview with Corinthians TV, defensive midfielder Raniele spoke about the return to training and the importance of the rest period. It is worth remembering that, in 2025, Alvinegro, along with Vasco da Gama, had its schedule extended because of the Copa do Brasil final, which took place on December 21. In the first week of January, the players were already back at the training center preparing for the start of the 2026 Paulista Championship.

“This first session was about readjusting. It was important to have this break so we could get some rest. We had been without a longer vacation period because of the Copa do Brasil title at the end of the year. Our expectations are the best possible. I hope we make the most of this period. There was already a lot of work during the competitions, so imagine now. It will be an important stretch. We understand that this is the time to push a little harder so that we can be in good physical and tactical shape for the rest of the season. I hope the whole group can make the most of and enjoy this time,” he said.

Three players were not present when the squad reported back: forward Memphis Depay (playing in the World Cup with the Netherlands), midfielder André Carrillo (who will only return on the 29th, as he represented Peru in two friendlies during Timão’s break), and attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard (flight issues returning from England).

Officially, the club from Parque São Jorge will return to the pitch only on July 23 at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time), when they will face Remo at Neo Química Arena in the final round of the first half of the Brasileirão. Before that, however, they will play a friendly against FC Cascavel at Estádio Municipal Arnaldo Busato, in Cascavel, Paraná, at 4 p.m. on July 12.

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