Paz cites no progress, backs Dorival sacking: “Work hit ceiling” | OneFootball

Corinthians football executive Corinthians, Marcelo Paz, spoke publicly this Sunday shortly after the club announced the dismissal of head coach Dorival Júnior. The executive justified the decision made by Corinthians’ top brass and cited the nine-match winless streak, with four losses and five draws, as the main reason for the coach’s departure.

“We came to reiterate, out of respect for everyone, and confirm the end of Dorival Júnior’s work and that of his staff. We also want to express our gratitude for the commitment, for the results, and for the titles that remain part of the club’s history. However, together with the presidency, we understood that the work had reached its ceiling. There was really no more technical progress. Nine games without a win is a lot for Corinthians. There was a drop in performance, the team could no longer finish the way we wanted, and there were home defeats,” Paz explained.

Corinthians’ board was also unhappy with the team’s below-par performances even after longer training periods, such as the recent FIFA international break, when Timão had a full week to prepare and then immediately lost 3-1 to Fluminense at the Maracanã. The lack of productivity in the final third was a factor that weighed on the decision. Against Inter, for example, the team created only one clear scoring chance.

“We tried to give the necessary time for corrections to be made. There were longer training periods, the FIFA date, elimination in the Paulista. We tried to give all the time needed for this to be fixed so that a change would not be necessary. But football is about results, and the results did not come. Nine games is a long stretch. Dorival understood, we spoke with him, the president and I. He acknowledged that it was a long period and that the team’s output had not been ideal. Because of that, there was already anxiety among the players, in their actions on the field, an emotional issue of not being able to do in matches what had been practiced. And decisions need to be made. With respect and maturity, but thinking about what is best for Corinthians. It was time to make a change, get back to winning, and restore the fans’ joy,” the director said.

Corinthians still identifying targets, says Paz

Corinthians have still not defined targets to replace Dorival Júnior, according to the executive. That was one of the reasons why he preferred to make only a statement instead of holding a press conference for the media present at Neo Química Arena.

The fact is that Corinthians will need to move quickly if they do not want to begin the Copa Libertadores without a new head coach. Timão open their continental campaign this Thursday at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), away from home, against Argentina’s Platense.

“When I arrived here, the fans were chanting ‘champions.’ We started the year well with the title against Flamengo, but after that things did not go the way they should have. We have to have the attitude and courage to change course, get back on the path of victories, and do so with enough time to achieve the club’s goals for the season, which are ambitious: to win titles, bring joy to the fans, and finish the year well,” Paz said.

“We are now going to begin the process of finding a new coach to be with us, prepare for Thursday’s match against Platense, and be at the training ground as soon as possible to start work. The president and I will begin the process of choosing Corinthians’ new leadership. The conversation was mature, truthful, and transparent, but there was conviction. We will work to find a new coach to restore Corinthians’ football and do what the fans expect, which is victories and titles,” the executive concluded.

League standings situation

The result was terrible for Corinthians, who saw their winless streak increase to nine matches, with four losses and five draws in that span. Timão also dropped places in the table and moved closer to the relegation zone. The black-and-white side sit in 16th place with 10 points — two more than Chapecoense, who currently open the bottom four.

Corinthians’ upcoming matches

Platense-ARG vs Corinthians (Libertadores first round) Date and time: 04/09 (Thursday), at 9 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Estadio Ciudad de Vicente Lopez, in Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Corinthians vs Palmeiras (11th round of the Brasileirão) Date and time: 04/12 (Sunday), at 6:30 p.m. (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.