Corinthians boss explains tactical tweak after Memphis Depay sub | OneFootball

On the night of last Sunday (22), Corinthians hosted Flamengo at the Neo Química Arena in a match valid for the eighth round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship, ending in a 1-1 draw. The result left the Alvinegro in only 11th place with 10 points, consisting of two wins, four draws, and two losses – seven goals scored and seven conceded.

In a press conference after the match, coach Dorival Júnior was asked about the tactical change in the team with the entry of midfielder Rodrigo Garro replacing forward Memphis Depay, who left the field injured after Corinthians' equalizing goal. Additionally, he analyzed how the expulsion of Flamengo's midfielder Éverton Araújo impacted the rest of the match and commented on the recovery of winger Kaio César and the anticipation for Jesse Lingard's debut.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Check out Dorival Júnior's responses in the press conference below:

Tactical change with Memphis Depay's exit and Rodrigo Garro's entry

“It's a change that completely alters the setup. We centralized Yuri a bit more and tried to push Garro closer to Jorginho. In that sense, we improved. In terms of offensiveness, in direct attacks on the opponent's line, we faced a bit more difficulty. We didn't have the game flowing as before. That's why I would have liked it to continue 11 against 11. Because things were being played more naturally. We were managing effective marking and quick transitions with passing exchanges. Flamengo pulled back, played well with the ball, and marked strongly. We sought width on the sides, attacks through the middle, with aerial balls. We used the arsenal we have. We didn't succeed, but we had a penalty absurdly not given, which prevented a better result. But the team deserved a different outcome than what it got. Unfortunately, it's the moment, and we have to work to overcome this condition.”

Assessment of the work, recovery of injured players, and expectations for Jesse Lingard

“First, the pursuit of recovery for all athletes. I still haven't been able to have Kaio, who would be a very important player for me, especially for a game like this. Naturally, we're waiting for a better condition for Jesse and a full recovery for Yuri and the other players. Unfortunately, we had this issue with Memphis, but we're working with everything we have to improve the performance that naturally bothers us, given the moment the team is going through. But the team has been playing well, with a lot of security. It's a team that concedes few goals, and that's something we've managed to correct from one year to the next. Our signings from midfield back, we've managed to put them on the field, with alternations, of course. From midfield back, we feel comfortable because there's the possibility of replacement at any moment. From midfield forward, our signings haven't practically even debuted, and that ends up hindering the development of our group. It's a moment where you keep working until you can have them all together. I only managed to gather them after almost two months.”

Pressure from the poor sequence of results at Corinthians – seven games without a win

“I am aware of what I am developing at Corinthians since I arrived. Just look at everything we've been through here and the results we've achieved. Is it a moment that bothers? Yes. Was it harder than last year? No. Last year was much harder; this year, things are more organized. It's a moment that many teams go through. If people have a little patience, they'll notice that good things are happening with the team. We play with ball possession, defensive and offensive organization. There's a lot of good stuff, besides the titles we've won. Things don't always happen as we want. We returned in a short preparation period. Do they forget that so easily? No one knows better than us the moment for a change. When you lose the locker room, you stop being important to the squad and realize you're not getting support anymore. That's not what I see. If you give up at the first moment, you're too weak for any situation. In my life, I've always dealt with these problems with a lot of calm. Corinthians will still have many good things to come this season. Let's let things pass.”

Absence of Kaio César

“I always ask the athletes, especially those returning: how are you? No one better than the athlete to tell you their condition. At that moment, during the halftime of the Santos game, he said he was exhausted but holding on. I asked, what do you think, another 10 or 15 minutes? He said: “I think I can do it.” That, for me, was an encouragement to put him in. I didn't know he was experiencing discomfort in his leg; if he had mentioned it, I would have changed my mind immediately because I know discomfort can lead to injury.”

“I don't know if he didn't mention it because he felt the moment, as he was being important in the match, maybe he wanted to believe it was something temporary, I've done that too. That was the doubt that arose. If he had told me about the discomfort, I would have changed my mind immediately, but he didn't. It was a shame because it ended up causing greater discomfort, preventing him from playing in these two matches. I don't think it's serious; he tried to return to training the day before yesterday, felt something, and ended up pulling back again.”

Next commitment

Corinthians, now with the first FIFA Date of the year, will return to the field only on April 1st, at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), to face Fluminense at the Maracanã Stadium, for the ninth round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship.

See More:

Corinthians News

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