Titles and inconsistency in the Brasileirão: Dorival Júnior at Corinthians | OneFootball

Corinthians announced on Sunday night (5) the dismissal of head coach Dorival Júnior. The decision was made after the team went nine matches without a win, worsened by a 1-0 defeat to Internacional in the Brazilian Championship.

Dorival had taken charge of the team on April 28, 2025, shortly after leaving the Brazilian National Team, filling the vacancy left by Ramón Díaz. He found a struggling Corinthians side, eliminated in the Libertadores preliminary stage and facing performance issues, but managed to lead the club to its fourth Copa do Brasil title.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

After nearly a year in charge, the coach leaves with the team sitting in 16th place in the Brasileirão. The 2026 season began with a title, the Supercopa do Brasil, but performances declined, especially during the Campeonato Paulista.

With his departure, Under-20 coach William Batista will take over on an interim basis and begin preparing the team for its Copa Libertadores debut. Corinthians will face Argentina’s Platense next Thursday.

Dorival’s arrival at the club came at a delicate moment for both sides. The coach had just been dismissed from the Brazilian National Team, while Corinthians, despite winning the 2025 Campeonato Paulista, had been eliminated in the Libertadores preliminary stage and sat only 13th in the Brasileirão.

On the eve of his presentation, Timão suffered a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Flamengo at the Maracanã. Even so, Dorival met with the squad and said the group would fight for the Copa do Brasil title that year.

He began his spell with the team earning seven points in six matches in the Brazilian Championship and posting an inconsistent campaign in the Copa Sudamericana. His debut came in the Copa do Brasil, with a 1-0 away win over Novorizontino. Soon after, in the Brasileirão, he beat Internacional 4-1. In his first ten matches, he recorded five wins, three draws, and two losses.

On the international stage, however, the results were not enough. Corinthians drew with América de Cali, beat Racing-URU, and lost to Huracán, resulting in elimination from the Copa Sudamericana.

Throughout 2025, it became clear that the team’s focus was on the Copa do Brasil. In the Brazilian Championship, performances were inconsistent: in 30 matches under Dorival, the team managed only nine wins, along with ten draws and 11 losses, finishing in 13th place.

In the knockout tournament, however, the campaign was solid. Corinthians eliminated Novorizontino, Palmeiras, and Athletico Paranaense without conceding a goal. The defense was breached only in the semifinal, in a 2-1 loss to Cruzeiro — a result that sent the tie to penalties, where Timão advanced.

In the final, after a scoreless draw at Neo Química Arena against Vasco, the team won the decisive match at the Maracanã 2-1, securing the title and ending an eight-year wait for a national trophy. It was also the fourth Copa do Brasil title of Dorival Júnior’s career.

The start of the following season was marked by difficulties. The tight schedule, reduced squad, and physical problems affecting key players such as Memphis Depay, Rodrigo Garro, and Yuri Alberto impacted the team’s performances. Even so, Corinthians won the Supercopa do Brasil by beating Flamengo 2-0, with goals from Gabriel Paulista and Yuri Alberto.

As the rounds went by, however, performances declined. Even with the arrival of seven reinforcements, the team entered a negative run. The last victory came on February 19, when they beat Athletico-PR 1-0. Since then, there have been nine matches without a win — something that had not happened since 2007.

During that period, Corinthians were also eliminated early from the Campeonato Paulista, with five draws and four defeats. The losses to Fluminense and Internacional, the final matches under Dorival’s command, highlighted the poor moment, with below-par performances and little attacking creativity.

Dorival Júnior leaves the club with two titles won and a total of 66 matches played, three of them led by his assistant and son, Lucas Silvestre.

The coach’s numbers are:

Matches played: 63Win rate: 49.74%Wins: 25Draws: 19Losses: 19Goals scored: 67 (average of 1.06 per match)Goals conceded: 56 (average of 0.89 per match)

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