Former midfielder at Corinthians basketball win, wants more exposure | OneFootball

Corinthians defeated Pinheiros 98-84 on Wednesday night at Ginásio Wlamir Marques and leveled the Novo Basquete Brasil semifinal series. With the result, the best-of-five series is now tied at 1-1. The matchup drew a full house and featured the presence of former defensive midfielder Cristian, a champion with Timão in two spells at the club.

In an interview with ESPN, the former player praised the participation of the black-and-white crowd and highlighted the importance of the support coming from the stands. At the same time, he pointed out that the sport could still receive greater promotion within the club to attract even more fans to the games.

Photo: © Daniel Augusto Jr. / Ag. Corinthians

“Seeing the arena packed for a semifinal, with this surreal energy that the Corinthians fans bring, is incredible. But I think this sport at Corinthians should be promoted more, like football, like futsal and like other sports. I think that if the arena were completely full, as it usually is, the atmosphere would be very different, the pressure would be surreal. But even with the fans already filling it like this, it’s an incredible feeling. And seeing Corinthians in a semifinal is always very good. We keep rooting for our friends and to always see the arena packed”, he said.

Before tip-off, the organized supporters’ group Camisa 12 organized a major mobilization alongside the club and sponsor Esportes da Sorte. Fans gathered at Carrão station on Metro Line 3-Red and walked to Parque São Jorge in a festive atmosphere, with drums, flags, flares and chants supporting the team.

Inside Wlamir Marques, the atmosphere also featured special activities promoted by Corinthians and the sponsor. Flags and accessories were handed out to those in attendance, in addition to a memorial honoring Oscar Schmidt, an icon of Brazilian basketball who recently passed away.

The sections behind the benches concentrated most of the crowd in attendance, while the stands behind the baskets had empty spaces throughout the game.

Cristian’s connection with Corinthians remains strong even after retirement. The former defensive midfielder regularly attends the club’s sporting events, including futsal matches and youth games, especially those involving midfielder Cristian Júnior, his son, who plays for the club’s Under-17 team.

In addition to his presence in the stands, Cristian was also honored during halftime. The former player received a Corinthians basketball jersey and a personalized cup from Gustavo Podence, “Montanha,” the manager of the sport at the club.

Cristian wore the Corinthians shirt on two occasions: first between 2008 and 2009 and then between 2015 and 2017. During that time, he won the 2008 Série B, the 2009 Campeonato Paulista, the 2009 Copa do Brasil and the 2015 Brazilian Championship. Altogether, he played 100 matches for the club and scored ten goals.

With the series tied, Corinthians now looks to take the lead in the next semifinal matchup. The third game against Pinheiros takes place this Saturday at 6:10 p.m., once again at Ginásio Wlamir Marques. The fourth game is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, at 8:30 p.m., at Ginásio Henrique Villaboim. If a fifth game is necessary, it will be hosted by Pinheiros, who finished the regular season with the better record.

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