Meet the staff joining Fernando Diniz at Corinthians | OneFootball

Corinthians announced, on Monday night, the arrival of coach Fernando Diniz. Alongside the new manager, the club also confirmed the signing of assistant coach Léo Porto and fitness coach Wagner Bertelli to join the staff.

Assistant Bruno Lazaroni was also initially expected to arrive with the coach, but chose not to accept the invitation to return to the club, where he worked alongside António Oliveira, for personal reasons, according to ESPN. Given this, Central do Timão brings more details about the background of the professionals now joining the black-and-white team’s coaching staff.

Léo Porto is Fernando Diniz’s assistant coach and arrives at Corinthians. Photo: Leonardo Moreira/Fortaleza EC

Léo Porto

Born in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Léo Porto began his career in sports as a futsal player. After ending his time on the indoor courts, he graduated in Physical Education in São Paulo and began his journey in football.

His first jobs came in the youth ranks of Juventus-SP, with the Under-15 team. Later, he joined Hélio dos Anjos’ staff at Fortaleza in 2013, working as a performance analyst and assistant.

After following Hélio dos Anjos to Atlético Goianiense, he went on to work with Dorival Júnior at Santos in November 2015, also as an analyst. The partnership continued at clubs such as São Paulo, Flamengo, and Athletico Paranaense, always in the same role.

In December 2020, he returned to Fortaleza, this time as a permanent assistant coach. Shortly afterward, in April 2021, he took over the first team on an interim basis following the departure of Enderson Moreira. His debut as head coach came in May of that year, in a 4-1 win over Caucaia in the Campeonato Cearense. Three days later, he returned to his assistant role with the arrival of Juan Pablo Vojvoda.

Then, in May 2023, he took charge of Fortaleza’s Under-20 team after Leandro Zago’s departure. During that period, he won two Campeonato Cearense titles in the category and had strong campaigns in the Brazilian Under-20 Championship, while also continuing as an assistant to the first team.

Léo Porto left the Ceará-based club in February 2026 and was replaced by Fred Guedes, former Brazil national team center-forward.

Wagner Bertelli

Wagner Bertelli is the fitness coach arriving at Corinthians alongside Diniz. Photo: Disclosure/CBF

Born in the city of São Paulo on May 24, 1965, Wagner Bertelli began his career as a fitness coach at Corinthians in 1986. He remained at the club until 1996 before moving on to Atlético Mineiro.

Throughout his career, he gained international experience with spells in Chinese football and also in Iran. In 2009, he returned to Brazil to work alongside Fernando Diniz at Votoraty, the first club in the current Corinthians coach’s career.

Since then, Bertelli has followed Diniz in his jobs and established himself as one of the key names on the coach’s staff. During his presentation at Santos in 2021, Diniz highlighted the professional’s importance: “Wagner is my great partner on this journey, since the beginning at Votoraty (the first club managed by Diniz). Even before me, he already had an interesting history in football. He worked at Corinthians, Atlético-MG, Sport, Greece, Iran, Haiti, China… He has a vast résumé and is among the best professionals in the country”.

With more than a decade alongside Diniz, Bertelli plays a fundamental role in the players’ physical preparation within the coach’s game model, characterized by ball possession and intense movement. He is recognized for his work in load management and in applying high-intensity training sessions aimed at adapting players to a demanding and dynamic style.

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