Corinthians defender hits back at Palmeiras: "They want to be us" | OneFootball

The defender André Ramalho, from Corinthians, received, this Monday, the award for the most beautiful goal of the 2026 Campeonato Paulista. Present at the event organized by the Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF), the defender couldn't avoid commenting on the taunts made by Palmeiras towards Timão, after their victory in the State Championship last Sunday.

André Ramalho took it in stride and said that provocations are part of football. However, he took a jab at the rival and recalled the history of the clashes between the teams in 2025. Timão was eliminated from the State Championship in the semifinals by Novorizontino.

“It’s part of the game. It’s a sign that they’re watching us, seeing what we’re doing. Maybe they (Palmeiras) want to be a bit like us. Either way, provocation is part of football. We know how to deal with it,” he said.

“Sometimes you’re the one being provoked, other times you’re the one provoking. It’s part of football, and that’s what makes football enjoyable for everyone. These provocations exist among the fans, always in a healthy way. It’s part of football and that’s all right,” he continued.

André Ramalho recalls “dominance” in 2025

Palmeiras and Corinthians faced each other seven times in 2025. There were three wins for Timão, one for Verdão, and three draws. The record includes a Paulista final, which Corinthians won, and a clash in the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil, a tournament in which the alviverde was also eliminated by their rival.

“Last year, I think our dominance in the matches against them was clear and we want to repeat that this year. May we continue to have good results because we know how important these games are for us and for the fans, and we will always give our best to win against them. A match against Palmeiras, in itself, is enough motivation to want to beat them,” André concluded.

However, this year, Palmeiras won the first derby against Corinthians, valid for the first phase of the Campeonato Paulista. On that occasion, Flaco López scored the only goal of the match, which took place at Neo Química Arena, in São Paulo (SP).

The next derby between Palmeiras and Corinthians is scheduled for April, in the 11th round of the Brasileirão.

Corinthians’ next match

Match: Corinthians vs Coritiba Competition: Campeonato Brasileiro (5th round) Date and time: March 11, 2026 (Wednesday), at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) Venue: Neo Química Arena, in São Paulo (SP)

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