Corinthians concluded, this Friday (25), a rugged process of exchange of coach. In just over a week, the club fired Ramón Díaz, talked to Dorival Júnior, left everything embarrassed with Tite and again treated Dorival when Tite gave up. The yes, finally, arrived.
Dismissed from the Brazilian team last month, the 63 -year -old Paulista – common on Friday – will even be Diaz’s replacement, 65, dismissed on the 17th. The direction awaits the signature of minutes to make the announcement on his official channels of a commitment by the end of 2026.
After that with Tite, the direction maintains caution and awaits the formalization of the agreement. But Junior gave his word to the football executive of the black and white group, Fabinho Soldado, that he is ready to start his stint with Corinthians, the only great Paulista who has not directed.
These were busy days at the club, which decided to resign Ramón after a home defeat to Fluminense. Just three weeks after the tasty achievement of the Paulista Championship, the leaders came to the conclusion that a change was needed – a little hand from the team’s star, Dutch Memphis Depay, who openly criticized the football presented.
Even before being sought, Tite signaled through his manager who, with the possibility of working in Saudi Arabia, was not available. Corinthians went after Dorival Júnior and started conversations until he received a different signage from the previous one: Tite was willing to return to the team in which he earned almost everything in the first half of the past decade.
Everything was verbally hit, and the 63 -year -old gaucho was expected in Sao Paulo on Tuesday (22). The training, which was scheduled in the morning, was transferred to the afternoon so that there was time for the new commander to arrive. He woke up, however, and reported that he had given up his commitment to mental health reasons.
“I understand that there are times when it is necessary to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable, and admit it will certainly become stronger,” said the coach in a statement. “I decided that the best thing to do now is to interrupt my career to take care of me for the time I need.”
Tite had not spoken to Corinthians four times since leaving the Brazilian team, at the end of the 2022 World Cup in December of that year. Before effecting Fernando Lázaro and hiring Cuca, Vanderlei Luxembourg and Mano Menezes, all in 2023, the club always sought his old commander.
He had publicly declared that he would not take over a Brazilian club that year. However, days after the refusal at the end of September, it was announced by Flamengo – where it would be fired a year later, with a carioca title. On the only visit to the Itaquera stadium, defeated, was cursed and bothered.
Therefore, in the face of the rejection of part of the fans, Corinthians managers sewed to an apology of the gaucho to seal peace. But then, ready -made, she said she suffered an anxiety crisis and gave up. Minutes later, Fabinho Soldado was at the airport to resume conversations with Dorival Júnior, who lives in Florianópolis.
The executive explained to the coach that, given the title of titles, the club was obliged to try Tite before advancing in other options. There was a meeting on Tuesday and another on Wednesday (23), but the positive response only arrived on Friday, after improvement in the financial offer.
A new conversation was needed with coach’s businessman, Edson Khodor, with the ultimate offer presented on Thursday night (24). It helped in the understanding that Fabinho and Dorival worked together in 2022, in Flamengo, with good relationship.
That year, Junior won the Brazilian Cup for the Rio team in the final against Corinthians himself, decided on penalties. The following year, on the way to the title of the same competition, ahead of Sao Paulo, overthrew Corinthians in the semifinals – with a lot of alvinegra complaint for a touch of Lucas’s hand in the classification goal.
Now the former player is the man chosen so that the black and white association goes beyond Paulista. This year’s state trophy was the first raised by the club in any male professional championship since 2019. Very very celebrated, but not to the point of giving a month of survival to Ramón Díaz.
He then arrived Dorival, who played at Archirrival Palmeiras and is the nephew of a historical idol Alviverde, Dudu (1939-2024). The connection with the São Paulo West Zone club did not prevent him from conducting satisfactory work in Santos and São Paulo.
It was from São Paulo that the professional left for his work in the selection, where he was far from the results sought. There were 16 games, with seven wins, seven draws and two losses, the last of them a 4-1 for Argentina that made their permanence unsustainable.
His debut at Corinthians will probably take place next Wednesday (30), against Novorizontino, in Novo Horizonte, for the Brazilian Cup. On Sunday (27), against Flamengo, in Rio de Janeiro, the team is expected to be directed again by the interim commander Orlando Ribeiro, who was on the edge of the lawn in the wins about Sport and Racing-Uru.
