Corinthians react to win, target progress in Women's Libertadores

In partnership with

Central do Timão

·10 ottobre 2025

Corinthians react to win, target progress in Women's Libertadores

By Daniel Keppler / Central do Timão Editorial Team

After defeating Independiente Santa Fe-COL 1-0 this Wednesday, the 8th, and securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the Women's Libertadores, members of Corinthians Feminino spoke to the press in the mixed zone. Coach Lucas Piccinato and players Gabi Zanotti and Duda Sampaio discussed the result, projected the Brabas' next steps in the tournament, and pointed out ongoing issues in the competition.

Lucas Piccinato explained the lineup against Santa Fe, motivated by the players' physical conditions and the challenge of facing a strong opponent: “The idea behind the lineup was to have a team with a lot of mobility and ball possession. We put in players who could operate both between the lines and further forward, to maintain our supported play and make Santa Fe run, without falling into a transition game, which is their main strength.”

OneFootball Video

Photo: Staff Images Woman/ CONMEBOL

Duda Sampaio, who played in the second half of the match, spoke about her physical condition. “The tests didn't show anything (in the ankle), thank God. Yesterday I went out on the field, managed to do some work separately from the group, but with a little pain I still managed. And today it was already much better, too. I still feel it a little, but these are moments we know are part of an athlete's life, we need to sacrifice a bit. But I'm fine, and I hope to be even better for the next game.” she said.

Gabi Zanotti praised the collective spirit of the Brabas in this first stage: “I'm very happy scoring goals, but I think this has always been very well divided here at Corinthians, we've never had a top scorer, everyone always scores, and I think that's always been the difference for Corinthians. I think the most important thing is to help the team, defending, attacking.”

The black-and-white coach also valued the strength of the squad, praising Duda Sampaio. “She played a good match today, linked up well with her teammates, made good passes, and almost scored again at the end. She plays with impressive maturity, she seems like a veteran. This really facilitates our collective play and helps the team position itself better. She had a great game and we will evaluate the best options for the next match.” he said.

He also took the opportunity to talk about Boca Juniors-ARG, Corinthians' opponent in the quarterfinals: “We knew it would be like this, we prepared for it. Now it's time to rest a bit, enjoy the qualification, and starting tomorrow, focus on the next challenge, which will certainly be a great battle.”

Number 8 also looked ahead to the match against the Argentinians: “It will be a great game, a very tough match, we've been talking a lot about being effective, today once again we created many chances and couldn't finish the game. In these knockout matches, we know our team is also more focused, so I think that's our main focus now, to work well and when we get the opportunities, we need to finish (the game). We're going in with fire in our eyes too.”

Finally, Zanotti reflected on the competition, lamenting the format still adopted by Conmebol. “I wish we had fans at every game. The organization of the competition needs to think better. It's very sad to see empty stadiums and we really want fans… Just imagine, a game at Neo Química, a game against Boca here. It would be very interesting for us, for the fans too. But who knows, maybe that's what we're aiming for in the future.” she concluded.

See More: