Corinthians captain defends cards, laments thin squad: “Tough balance”

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Central do Timão

·10 November 2025

Corinthians captain defends cards, laments thin squad: “Tough balance”

By Larissa Beppler | Central do Timão Editorial Team

Captain of Corinthians in the 1-0 defeat to Ceará this Sunday (9), at Neo Química Arena, Maycon spoke in the mixed zone after the game and commented on a recurring issue for the team: absences due to suspensions. This time, midfielder Rodrigo Garro received a yellow card at 49 minutes into the second half and is suspended for the derby against São Paulo on Thursday, for the 34th round of the Brasileirão.

Asked about conversations with the squad regarding the cards, Maycon was straightforward in exposing the dilemma that, according to him, involves the team’s competitive attitude. “If we hadn’t gotten any cards, if we didn’t get upset with the referee, if we didn’t commit fouls to stop plays, if we didn’t do any of these things, you would be criticizing us for being too peaceful, a team that doesn’t get cards,” he said.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

The midfielder emphasized that the criticism falls on the group regardless of the stance they take. “As I said, I think the scale is very heavy because if we do it, we’re criticized, and if we don’t, we’ll also be criticized. I don’t know what to tell you. I think we focus on doing our best for Corinthians.”

“I think we have to represent Corinthians in the best way possible. If we think the referee is making mistakes, we’re going to challenge the referee, and if we have to get a card, it’s bad, obviously. But if we don’t challenge, you’ll be criticizing us for not representing the Corinthians shirt,” he added.

According to him, decisions on the field happen in fractions of a second and don’t always allow for ideal control. “We have to do our best. We have seconds to decide, we have seconds to press, and then, of course, watching on TV, after the game, looking at the plays, we could have made other decisions, but there, in a short space of time, it’s about making a foul, stopping a play.”

“The play that led to the first goal, I think it’s a situation we had been talking about a lot, that the opposing team wanted a counterattack, we had to stop the play, we couldn’t, and they scored the goal,” pondered Timão’s number 7.

“So there are plays that, suddenly, if we stop the play, we’ll get another yellow card there. It’s tough, brother. So we have to try to do our best in the game, try to represent Corinthians in the best way, and sometimes, it will be like that. I think, as I said, the scale tips both ways. We’re being criticized because we want to represent Corinthians in the best way.”

Besides the punishments, the midfielder acknowledged that injuries and suspensions have hindered coach Dorival Júnior’s planning. According to him, the small squad amplifies the impact of each absence. “Dorival maybe repeated the lineup once or twice, or maybe just once, from one game to the next, because of the sequence of games we’ve had, the suspensions, the injuries. Of course it gets in the way, but I think we have to prepare ourselves.”

Maycon emphasized that, at this point in the season, there’s no room to look for outside solutions or justify problems. “We have to find solutions with what we have. There’s no point now, at this stage of the championship, at the end of the year, playing in the Brazilian Championship, having a Copa do Brasil, in trying to find points that won’t be solved now.”

For the Corinthians captain, collective strength appears when the group is complete, but reality demands adaptation. “We’re very strong when we have everyone. Of course, when we lose some players who understand our team, the team feels it, obviously. But I think we have to have the discernment to know that we have to work in the best way possible,” he concluded.

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