Corinthians face longest break since Paulista exit | OneFootball

The Corinthians bid farewell to the Campeonato Paulista last Saturday after falling in the semifinal. The Timão was eliminated after losing 1-0 to Novorizontino at the Dr. Jorge Ismael de Biasi Stadium in Novo Horizonte (SP). Despite the elimination, the alvinegra team 'gained' a precious break in the calendar.

The team led by coach Dorival Júnior will now return to the field only on March 11, when they face Coritiba at the Neo Química Arena for the Brazilian Championship. Thus, the squad will have about 10 days between rest and preparation, which is their longest break in the calendar since the start of the season.

Corinthians, like other Brazilian clubs, started the year with an intense schedule, dividing attention between the State Championship and the Brasileirão, in addition to the Supercopa do Brasil. Until now, the alvinegro club had not had a free week, facing two commitments almost consecutively.

The next week will be dedicated to the Paulistão finals. Since they fell in the semifinal, Timão will have the week off, something unprecedented for the team in 2026. Not surprisingly, the break was valued by Dorival, who sees the period as the preseason that the alvinegro team did not have.

“It's the time we didn't have at the beginning of the year. We had eight days for a debut and with decisive, important games, we couldn't slip up in the Paulista. We had classics, the opening of the Brasileiro, the clash with Flamengo. Anyway, it was quite demanding for a team that rested only ten days. I am very satisfied with what I am seeing, the commitment that is existing. Today, Corinthians could have had better luck. We played for that. It wasn't a brilliant game, but we deserved another moment. It didn't happen, we have to acknowledge the value of Novorizontino,” evaluated the coach.

Corinthians, it is worth remembering, went on vacation on December 22 due to the finals of the Copa do Brasil. The squad returned to training on January 3 and, on the 11th of the same month, was already debuting in the Paulista.

Recovery of Injured Players

Dorival Júnior and his coaching staff have had to perform acrobatics to avoid new injuries in the squad. In many games this season, Timão went to the field with an alternative team, precisely to manage the squad's playing time and prevent injuries.

Still, some players suffer from physical problems. These are the cases of Yuri Alberto (grade 2 muscle injury in the left thigh), Kaio César (muscle injury in the right thigh), Matheus Pereira (grade 2 muscle injury in the left thigh), and Felipe Longo (ligament strain in the right elbow).

The ten days, therefore, will be crucial for the athletes to advance in their respective recoveries. “[This period] Helps any team. You will have time to work, recover, and condition your team,” said Dorival.

Corinthians will now need to pick up the pieces and refocus on the Brazilian Championship. After stumbling in the debut, the alvinegro team recovered and is in third place with seven points.

Now, the campaign that Corinthians is making is a worthy campaign, we are in a good position. If it weren't for the first result, we would be very close to the lead, but that is not the goal at the moment. It is to strengthen our team even more and provoke a much better year than the previous one. I am sure this will happen if everything we are planning happens. We are not forcing anything, we are looking for opportunities in the market,” concluded the coach.

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