The coach said he had to give himself an answer after a troubled moment in his career and recalled what it was like when he arrived at Timão
December 21
2025
– 11:15 p.m.
(updated at 11:15 p.m.)
Dorival Júnior wrote another chapter in his career with the Copa do Brasil. On Sunday evening (21), with Corinthians’ victory against Vasco, the coach won his fourth title in the competition, the third in the last four years.
Just like the club, the coach has not had a peaceful year. At the start of the year, Dorival ended up being dropped from the Brazilian squad after suffering a 4-1 loss to Argentina. The technician admitted that he was not willing to start a new job and was going through a difficult time in his life.
“I had left the Seleção and my intention was not to work all this year. I had already spoken to other clubs, that I was not at a suitable time for a new job in the order. However, in the first contact I had with Fabinho, I was upset, including my family, and I decided to accept this invitation. I thought that I had to give myself an answer, because of everything that had happened within the Seleção, the protests that took place, the mockery, the jokes, sometimes people do things without caring about the personal side of the human being. It was all very difficult and few people contacted him.
Problems within Timão
Dorival wanted to thank everyone who helped him and believed in his work, even in the midst of the delicate situation. The coach also admitted that the situation within the club was complicated, with several problems that did not leave the CT door.
“I just have to thank the people who continued to believe in my work, without worrying about the moment, the situation. Recognizing that in front of a professional there is the human side of a person. It was a difficult situation, as it has been throughout the year, no one has the slightest idea of the difficulties we had, of the problems we faced. Some are commented on, many others did not leave the CT. With all this, step by step, we let’s head towards a historic campaign, once again,” he stressed.
Debt to Corinthians fans
In its last Copa do Brasil victories, Dorival faced Corinthians in the round of 16. In 2022, with Flamengo, he won the title against Timão. The following year, with São Paulo, he eliminated Alvinegro in the semi-final. However, the coach felt he owed the trophy to the Corinthians fans, which he described as something impressive.
“I think I owed a debt to them (the Corinthians fans). There were two qualifiers and I think when I met a fan during that period, they accused me of this situation. I think today I was able to thank them for being by their side. It’s impressive what these fans have done since the last matches we had, when we left the Training Center yesterday. I have rarely seen a situation like that and I can only thank them and salute the participation of all of them. This title was for all of them and for them, because they believed until the last moment,” he stressed.
Changes within the club
Dorival recalled that his first contact with the team took place at the Maracanã, during a rout suffered by Flamengo. The coach told the team they would have a restart, with improvement at the Brasileirão and qualification for the Copa do Brasil final.
“My first match, arriving at Corinthians, was precisely when I came to see Corinthians and Flamengo here. At that time, if I’m not mistaken, it was 4-0. I went to the locker room, I asked permission from the coach at that time, who was Orlando, of the youth teams. I asked permission and I told them to prepare, because this year did not end with this result. It was a restart, for that we could improve our campaign in the Brazilian Championship and reach the final of the Copa do Brasil. Thanks to God, all this ended up happening and our team rightly achieved a very important result,” he stressed.
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