Diniz hails Corinthians progress, Yuri Alberto drought over, Memphis back | OneFootball

Corinthians secured a place in the Copa do Brasil round of 16 on Wednesday night by beating Barra-SC 1-0 at Neo Química Arena. After winning the first leg by the same score in Santa Catarina, Timão confirmed qualification with a goal from Yuri Alberto in front of the Fiel.

At the post-match press conference, coach Fernando Diniz analyzed the team’s performance, explained his decision to field a full-strength lineup against the club from Santa Catarina, and commented on important topics involving the black-and-white squad, such as Yuri Alberto’s form, Gui Negão’s absence, and Memphis Depay’s return.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Regarding the goal scored by Yuri Alberto, which ended a spell without finding the net, Diniz highlighted the striker’s effort and said the goal was a reward for his recent performances.

“It was very good for Yuri to score as a reward. And today it was a goal that gave us the win, it was very important, more because of that than as a confidence boost, because at no point was he playing without confidence. He has been consistently playing well, he has been helping the team, so I think it was a reward for the effort he has put in in every game. I hope he can start scoring more often again, because that is very good for a center forward. It’s good for everyone to score, but even more so for a center forward. Regardless of that, he always helps, he is always very useful, and he is important for our team.”

The coach also commented on Gui Negão’s absence from the squad list for the Copa do Brasil clash and explained that the decision was due to the number of options available in the squad.

“Regarding Gui Negão, today Pedro was on the bench, there are a lot of people, Corinthians have more players coming back, and you can’t put 28 players on the squad list. Soon Charles will be back, Memphis will be back, so someone else will have to be left out. It was a choice I made for this game.”

Asked about his decision to use virtually the starting lineup against Barra, Diniz emphasized how difficult the match would be and praised the current moment of the Santa Catarina side.

“Because the game, for me, very clearly, was going to be a difficult game, a dangerous game, as it was. We won 1-0, playing with almost the entire starting team. It’s good when we’re giving information and putting it in context: this is a team that currently plays in Série C, but they are also the current Santa Catarina state champions, a team that recently beat Figueirense 3-0, a team that beat Chapecoense in the Santa Catarina Championship, and it is a very organized team.”

The Corinthians boss also said the team needed to stay fully focused to avoid any surprises in the national competition.

“You see the number of big clubs that historically get knocked out early in the Copa do Brasil. Bahia are already out, Athletico Paranaense went through on penalties, Fluminense had difficulties, yesterday Atlético Mineiro went through on penalties. We can’t fail to qualify against a team that is in Série C. That sends a message to the players, because this was another thing that existed here at Corinthians: lowering the level when facing a team that, suddenly, might not have as much tradition.”

Another topic addressed was Jesse Lingard’s performance. Diniz praised the Englishman and highlighted the player’s physical, technical, and emotional development since arriving at the club.

“He is a player we are connecting with more and more, and at first that connection also came very quickly. He is a player with a lot of talent, and he is fighting to reach his best condition, not only physically and technically, but also mentally to play football. I have very high expectations for him. He has helped us a lot because of that characteristic you mentioned, but above all because he is a different kind of player, technically well above average.”

On André Carrillo, Diniz acknowledged the player’s recent inconsistency, but reinforced his confidence in the player’s potential for the future.

“That is something we keep observing in training and through the run of games, but he is a player with tremendous talent, and his future, to me, is brilliant. He is a player who has everything to make it in European football.”

The coach also detailed the changes made in the second half, especially the introductions of Breno Bidon and Kaio César, and explained how the substitutions helped Corinthians control the match better.

“Our range of finishing in the second half was very broad. We could have won the game and should have won by a more comfortable margin, but football is like that.”

Diniz also commented on his disagreement with Gabriel Paulista during the match. The coach downplayed the incident and said the matter was resolved quickly internally.

“It’s best to avoid it. I have that temperament and Gabriel does too. It’s better for us to avoid it. It’s not that it will never happen again. And when it does, it will happen internally, and we will resolve it very quickly.”

The coach also spoke about expectations for Memphis Depay’s return, as he continues his physical recovery. According to Diniz, the club is working to have the forward back before the break for the World Cup.

“There’s a chance he’ll play. We’re working for him to return as soon as possible, but with a good safety margin. Because Memphis has a World Cup to play very soon. He’s a player I’m counting on a lot. It’s a privilege to have a player like Memphis.”

In addition, the coach said he would like the Dutchman to stay at the club.

“I really want to count on him. And it doesn’t change anything whether he plays or doesn’t play, whether he plays well, whether he plays the remaining games. I know how big a player he is and the importance he has for Corinthians and for Brazilian football. I really want him to stay. I really do.”

When commenting on the competition for the left-back spot between Matheus Bidu and Angileri, the coach pointed out the differences in characteristics between the two players.

“Angileri is a player who starts more from back to front, while Bidu is more like someone who starts from front to back. He is a player with very refined technique, who works much less in tight spaces.”

Diniz also praised the defensive commitment of the attacking players and pointed to the squad’s solidarity as one of the team’s main hallmarks at this stage of the season.

“I think the players realize that this is the driving force of our work, and we can’t give that up. It is something that unites us.”

Finally, the coach explained Corinthians’ change in behavior in recent weeks and highlighted the connection built with the squad since his arrival at the club.

“I think there was a very strong connection with the players, a great deal of empathy with the squad and with the fans. Things also happened very quickly; the debut was already a hugely important, difficult away win.”

Having qualified for the Copa do Brasil round of 16, Corinthians now turn their attention to the Brazilian Championship. The team’s next match will be against Botafogo this Saturday at 4 p.m. (Brasília time) at Nilton Santos Stadium.

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