Corinthians boss hails market manager, on Allan debut, Bidon injury

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Central do Timão

·13 febbraio 2026

Corinthians boss hails market manager, on Allan debut, Bidon injury

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians faced Red Bull Bragantino on the night of last Thursday (12th) at Neo Química Arena, in a match valid for the third round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship, and won by a score of 2-0. The goals for the Alvinegro were scored by center-back Gabriel Paulista and left-back Matheus Bidu. The victory took the Corinthians team up to 12th place with three points from two games.

A few minutes after the final whistle, coach Dorival Júnior gave a press conference to journalists and was asked about the importance of Renan Bloise, current Corinthians market manager, in the club's search for reinforcements during the transfer window. The professional arrived at Alvinegro at the beginning of 2024 along with Fabinho Soldado – with whom he worked at Flamengo – and, initially, only served as a member of the club's scouting team. In 2026, he gained more space in the football department and began to participate more in behind-the-scenes decisions.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

“(Role) a little different from what he performed last year, he is much closer to the day-to-day on the field, to Marcelo Paz, and often has other duties besides field observation. Renan is someone who stays much more in this sector than in the definition of names, as has been suggested in recent days involving Renan's name in many situations that are not true. We all have roles very close to Marcelo. We are constantly talking to Marcelo, highlighting everything that happens, tactically, technically, everything involving the players and the staff.”

“Naturally, I think that each one within their sector, which has been very important in the work. Renan is a very high-level professional. Discreet, hardworking, a guy who adds a lot. I am sure Marcelo was very well supplied with information, because Renan is free of vanity, he is there to help our team,” he began.

He later analyzed the debut of midfielder Allan, 28, who joined Corinthians on loan from Flamengo. Last Thursday (12th), he was brought on at the 23rd minute of the second half, replacing Matheus Pereira, and his performance was praised by fans on social media. The coach believes the player can play not only as the first defensive midfielder.

In addition, he responded about Moroccan midfielder Zakaria Labyad, 32, who strengthens the Alvinegro after a spell in Chinese football and has a friendship with striker Memphis Depay, as they played together at PSV, Netherlands, in the 2011/2012 season.

“Regarding Zakaria, I am getting to know him little by little. He is a player who is in the process of regaining better physical condition, we are trying to insert this process, already including some ball work. It’s a matter of time for him to fight for space and position. The expectation is positive. Allan, we always saw him more as a first man, a marker, theoretically in the same role as Raniele, but I really believe in Allan, who has much more to add, to grow, maybe in another role. We may vary a bit, changing according to need, the difficulties we will face. He is a player who adapts very well, and will be very important for the growth and improvement of our team.”

Next, he detailed what the Alvinegro's priorities would be in this transfer window. So far, six players have been signed, in addition to the renewal of left-back Fabrizio Angileri: center-back Gabriel Paulista, right-back Pedro Milans, midfielder Allan, midfielder Matheus Pereira, midfielder Zakaria Labyad – not yet announced – and forward Kaio César. Dorival Júnior also praised the joint work being done between football executive Marcelo Paz and president Osmar Stabile.

“Everything is being done calmly. I want to highlight how Corinthians has been working, with very little investment. At a time when all teams are seeking investments and signing, as well as a relative number of players, looking for great options in the market, all teams are investing a lot. We are working with this condition. That’s why I value what has been done here. We are managing with our squad’s capacity, with very low investment, believing a lot in the solutions being found in our football department, led by Marcelo,” he continued.

The Corinthians coach also commented on the injury of midfielder Breno Bidon, 20. In the derby against Palmeiras, for the Paulistão, last Sunday (8th), in Itaquera, the number 7 felt muscle discomfort in his right thigh. Thus, he responded about the expected return date of the "Son of Terrão" to the pitch.

“It’s hard to measure this, we consulted the player, he was holding his thigh, but said he was coping. There’s no way to measure the athlete’s feeling. We asked all the time, even at halftime, he said he was fine and would return. He said it had been happening for some time, sometimes he felt it. The next day, the condition worsened, naturally because of the match, but we asked, did our part by asking if he was coping, if it was a more serious problem. It’s the athlete’s perception, there’s no way to interfere, unless you take drastic measures. As he was playing, it was impossible to make a change at that moment. It’s very complicated, you can’t measure, on the field, what’s happening with the athlete.”

The Corinthians coach gave an assessment of midfielder Rodrigo Garro’s match, who, since last year, has been struggling to string together a run of games with consistent performance. In recent months, he has dealt with tendinopathy in his knee, which kept him off the pitch between March and May 2025, as well as a calf muscle injury in October last year. Signed in 2024 after a spell at Talleres, the current number 8 had his best moment for the club mainly in the second half of that year, where he was decisive in the team’s surge in the Brasileirão and was voted the tournament’s best midfielder, as well as being the competition’s assist leader.

“We have to be patient. Garro had two very serious injuries last year. It wasn’t a great year. We all saw how his 2024 was. A player who stood out in every way, catching the attention of all of us who follow football. It’s a matter of patience, a bit of him regaining more self-confidence. It’s all a matter of time. There was a mistake on Sunday, it happened, but football is collective. Tomorrow is decisive, but he won’t be the main one responsible. There must be a balance, positive and negative, in our evaluation. We are used to putting everything that happened at a club on the back of a single professional, and it’s not always like that,” he added.

He then spoke about Corinthians’ set-piece work, which has been a strong point of the team since his arrival, and praised the way the club from Parque São Jorge has been gaining consistency and controlling matches through imposing possession.

“We had 13 chances on goal, which shows that we tried to put the ball on the ground. Set-piece work has been fundamental, we are unlocking many games. The work of Aurélio, Pedro, and João. Pedro Sotero, who leads our team, develops our plays, marking both in attack and defense. This has helped us. However, our team doesn’t stop putting the ball on the ground. Corinthians play. We got close to almost 70% possession. It’s a team that puts the ball on the ground and tries to play. The opposing team conceded three goals this year. It’s a very consistent team. We have to understand that at a time when we weren’t technically brilliant, we were effective, looking for the goal at all times, unlocking the game with set pieces, which is part of the solutions.”

Finally, he praised left-back Matheus Bidu, who is experiencing his best moment since arriving at Corinthians. After a good spell in 2024, following the arrival of Dorival Júnior in April 2025, he reestablished himself as the starting left-back for the Alvinegro and, since then, has been one of the pillars of Corinthians’ offensive play, characterized by using the flanks as an outlet. In 130 games for the club, he has nine goals and eight assists, in addition to three titles: Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026).

“When I arrived, Bidu was the third player in the position […]. Bidu has been standing out since last year. This highlights the work that has been developed collectively, finding important situations, making the players’ growth happen,” he concluded.

Now, Corinthians turn their focus back to the 2026 Paulistão. Next Sunday (15th), at 8:30 pm (Brasília time), the Alvinegro will visit São Bernardo FC, at Estádio Primeiro de Maio, ABC Paulista, for the eighth and final round of the first phase of the state championship.

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