Gustavo Henrique hails Corinthians spirit, plays down row, backs reaction | OneFootball

The goalless draw between Corinthians and Palmeiras this Sunday (12), at Neo Química Arena, in the 11th round of the Brazilian Championship, was marked by plenty of intensity, red cards, and also a heated atmosphere after the final whistle. One of the leaders of the black-and-white squad, center-back Gustavo Henrique, spoke in the mixed zone about the derby, addressing everything from the scuffle in the tunnel to the team’s performance even with two players sent off.

Right after the match, the defender commented on the initial scuffle involving security staff and members of both delegations. According to him, the episode was nothing more than a common disagreement in derbies of this magnitude, without any major consequences.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

“There was the usual pushing and shoving, between their security staff and ours. Then we got there too and it became that pushing and shoving, an attempt to push each other around. But here at home, we’re the ones in charge, and we have to impose ourselves”, the center-back began.

“Of course we are never in favor of violence, we are against it, but we’re not fools either. We’re not going to let the opponent come here and do whatever they want in our house. I think it’s part of it, it’s a Derby, one of the biggest rivalries in the world. Everyone had a hot head, each one defending their own. The important thing is that there was no kind of aggression, no more serious violence”, he continued.

On the field, Corinthians had to deal with an adverse scenario after two red cards, which required even more collective effort to hold on to the draw. Gustavo highlighted the group’s commitment and valued the point earned given the circumstances. The defender also spoke about midfielder André, sent off for making an obscene gesture, and pointed out that the youngster will learn from the mistake.

“Man, more than the point earned, we have to praise everyone’s commitment. Unfortunately, we had two send-offs and that means we have to run even more. Let it be a lesson to keep our heads in place and always finish with 11 players. Never stop fighting, never stop going to ground, but with wisdom”, the player said.

“André is a young kid, he’ll learn from the mistake. We’re with him at all times. But the most important thing was the group’s commitment and also the fans’, who supported us the whole time. Now we have to think about the next match”, he added.

The center-back was also asked about the tense atmosphere during the derby and the influence of the refereeing on how the match unfolded. In his view, excessive stoppages end up hurting the spectacle, but they were not decisive in causing the arguments.

“It’s hard to talk about refereeing. I’ve said before that I don’t really like commenting on that. We played a very good game against Platense, with a referee who lets the game flow. Here in Brazil, the game stops too much, it gets broken up. That irritates us because we want to play. It’s bad for the fans too”, criticized the Corinthians defender.

“But that’s not what caused the arguments. A Derby is always like this, we came in as if it were a final. With 11 against 11, we were better in the match, competing well, winning the balls. Unfortunately André made a mistake, but we ran for him and showed the group’s strength”, Gustavo Henrique continued.

The fans’ pressure, which has intensified in recent weeks, also came up. Gustavo acknowledged the weight of the black-and-white shirt and said the squad knows how to deal with pressure, although he disagrees with excesses.

“For me, it doesn’t interfere at all. We know we weren’t getting the results, but we were giving everything. Maybe the criticism went a little too far, maybe we needed a bit more protection, but it’s part of it. I will always respect the organized supporters, talk face to face when necessary”, he pointed out.

“Now, when it turns into threats, I don’t agree with that. But we know how to deal with it. We are a group of men, we know the responsibility we have. At Corinthians the pressure is huge and we have to be ready for that”, the center-back went on.

Next, Gustavo Henrique again spoke about teammate André’s sending-off in the second half and took a supportive tone, stressing that the episode will serve as a learning experience for the 19-year-old player.

“It’s hard to say what was going through his head. You have to ask him more about that. But he’s a kid, he still has a lot to learn. He’s been helping us a lot and has a huge future ahead of him. We’ll be by his side at all times so that this doesn’t happen again. I was young too, I made mistakes and learned from them. He’ll learn too”, the defender said.

Another topic addressed was the external pressure on the squad, especially after comments from fans suggesting a possible lack of commitment under the former coach. Gustavo denied anything of the sort and reinforced the respect for Dorival Júnior.

“What people say doesn’t matter to us. No one knows what happens inside. Why would we want to get a coach fired who had won a title with us two months earlier? I’ve worked with Dorival for a long time, I’ve known him for more than 10 years. I would never do that. He’s like a father in football, a father figure to everyone. We respected him a lot. If there was a change, it was the board’s decision. This is a very good group, very hard-working. We have always dedicated ourselves to the fullest and we will always respect whoever is here”, the center-back stated.

Now under Fernando Diniz, the squad is beginning to experience a new moment, still in the early stages of adaptation. Gustavo Henrique highlighted the intensity of the work and the energy brought by the new coach.

“It’s been very good. He’s a guy with a lot of energy, he brought a different atmosphere for us. We still haven’t been able to work that much on the field because of the sequence of games, but just yesterday we stayed training until it was almost dark. After that, we still had a long video session. You can see that he really likes to work, and this group does too. We want to correct mistakes and improve as a team. He can count on us”, he stressed.

Finally, the center-back explained the strategy adopted after the send-offs, revealing the instructions given by the coach to keep the team competitive even while down in numbers.

“At halftime, he put it in our heads that even with one man less, we could still play. We needed to defend well first, because of the numerical disadvantage, and take advantage of counterattacks. We had a chance to kill the game and couldn’t do it. After the second sending-off, we set up two lines of four. It’s natural for the opponent to press more. But it was worth it for everyone’s grit and commitment. Now it’s about thinking of the next game and going after the three points”, concluded number 13.

After the draw in the derby, Timão now turns its attention back to the Copa Libertadores. The team takes the field on Wednesday (15), at Neo Química Arena, to face Independiente Santa Fé of Colombia, at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time).

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