Raniele hails Corinthians’ teamwork in beating Flamengo in the Supercopa

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Central do Timão

·3 Februari 2026

Raniele hails Corinthians’ teamwork in beating Flamengo in the Supercopa

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians faced off last Sunday afternoon (1) at the Mané Garrincha Stadium in Brasília, in the final match of the Supercopa do Brasil, and won 2-0. The goals for the Alvinegro were scored by defender Gabriel Paulista and forward Yuri Alberto, in the first and second half, respectively. The victory marked the second time in history that the Corinthians team won the tournament – the first being in January 1991 against the same opponent at the Morumbi Stadium.

Shortly after the title was confirmed for Corinthians, midfielder Raniele gave an interview to the press on the field and highlighted the team's collective effort to nullify the main strengths of the Rio team, especially in the midfield, which includes above-average players like the Uruguayan Giorgan De Arrascaeta. The number 14 also spoke about his partnership with the young André to 'stop' Flamengo's attacks.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

“Man, I think when we have a team willing to do what needs to be done, there is no other result. If Flamengo's defenders had time to think and find Arrascaeta, I could mark him the same way I did and it could go wrong. Because they would have time to think. So, it all starts when our forwards press their defenders, the full-backs, so that the ball comes already scrambled to the midfield. I think it was a really good match from André. We managed to defend well at the back line too. But if it weren't for the whole team pressing, the whole team, all 11 players doing their part, we wouldn't have stood out in their midfield. So, it was a very good match from the whole team and we hope to continue at this level”, he began.

Later, he commented on the team's harmony with the Corinthians fans and the mobilization of the club's main organized supporters to travel to Brasília to watch the decisive match against Flamengo. The Mané Garrincha was divided half and half between the fans. In the Federal District, more than 300 buses of Corinthians' organized supporters traveled.

“We had in mind that we had to play a tough game, we saw the fans' mobilization, we know how difficult it was for them to be here today. I think the way we celebrated at the end, and they celebrated, speaks for itself. I think it is immensely satisfying to be able to compensate for the sacrifice the fans made to be here. And we hope to continue doing this throughout the year, because if the energy from off the field continues to come onto the field the way it has been, I think there is no other result for Corinthians but to win. We hope to continue this wave of titles and that our fans are always with us“, he continued.

Then, the midfielder was asked about the cases of food poisoning – revealed by coach Dorival Júnior before the game – that affected a little over 20 people from the Corinthians delegation, including players, staff, and the technical team. The midfielder revealed that he was one of those affected, as well as Charles and Yuri Alberto. Despite this, the team overcame the adversities and left the field with the title.

“It disrupted my night's sleep. It disrupted my night's sleep, it disrupted my eating. I am one of those players (affected). My game weight is 84, I played today at 80 kilos. And also considering the weight I lost during the game, which was quite a lot. So I must be now six, seven kilos lighter. But it disrupts the pre-game, but during the game, there's no such thing. We put in our minds that we want to win. We have to run. Yuri also played with 3 kilos less. Charles showed signs of worsening today. So it's a sacrifice we make. But when we see the fans' mobilization, that's what made it seem very small. We hope to keep giving back,” he added.

Finally, he analyzed the refereeing by Rafael Klein (RS). Raniele responded about the episode of the expulsion of midfielder Carrascal, who elbowed Breno Bidon in the central area of the field seconds before the end of the first half. According to the rules, the referee reviewed the incident at halftime and expelled the Colombian. The Corinthians player believes that, in many moments, Klein called unnecessary fouls in favor of the opponent near the Corinthians area, besides stopping the game several times in the second half.

“Ah, today I think the referee feels very secure, right? The referee feels very secure with VAR, so he can give or not give something. And then if there's a goal or not, he goes back on the decision. I think he managed the first half well. Congratulations for reviewing the play in the second half and really expelling Carrascal. I didn't see the play, so I can't comment, but if the referee went back and expelled him, it was a correct decision. At the beginning of the second half, I think he stopped the game too much in favor of Flamengo. Many unnecessary fouls near the area. Some we committed, but many he called that didn't exist. But I think we managed to compensate and come out with the effort we made. We defended the set pieces well, managed to counter-attack effectively, and take this title home,” he concluded.

Raniele was signed by Corinthians in January 2024 after standing out for Cuiabá during the 2023 Brazilian Championship, which caught the attention of the then Corinthians coach, Mano Menezes. Since then, he has been a tactical pillar of the Alvinegro squad. In 115 matches wearing the Corinthians jersey, he has scored three goals and provided two assists. He participated in the team's rise in the 2024 Brasileirão (from the Z4 to the 2025 Pré-Libertadores) and was a starter in the victories of the Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026).

After winning the Supercopa do Brasil, defeating Flamengo with authority, the club from Parque São Jorge will return to the field this Thursday (5), at 8:30 PM (Brasília time), to face Capivariano, at the Neo Química Arena, for the sixth round of the first phase of the Campeonato Paulista.

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