Corinthians, ten years later, continues in the 2012 Libertadores

“Corinthians need to take the field against Boca Juniors in the same way as in 2012,” said former player Emerson, promoting the SBT broadcast of the 2022 Copa Libertadores round of 16. show them what Corinthians really is.”

Hero of the alvinegra conquest ten years ago, Sheik today works as a commentator for the São Paulo broadcaster. The phrases, of course, were a rehearsed part of an advertising piece. The memory of the continental triumph was inevitable a decade later, in a duel with the same opponent, for the same competition. But the speech is illustrative of what the club has been living since that 4th of July.

For better or worse, Corinthians guided their continental conquest from the moment they finally achieved it. South American –and world– champion in 2012, he has always sought to replicate the success of a historic season, at times seeking to repeat formulas and characters, at times denying them.

In 2013, it was time to deny. Eliminated from Libertadores by Boca itself, in a ridiculously damaging refereeing game by Paraguayan Carlos Amarilla, the team lost its way in the second half. The campaign in the Brazilian Championship was terrible, and the possibility of falling to the second division became a concern.

“I saw the relegation in front of me!”, exclaimed the then president Mario Gobbi, who exchanged the technical winner Tite for the old acquaintance Mano Menezes and promoted a kind of purge. Mano arrived with the task of commanding a deep reformulation in the cast and discarding once important pieces, such as the hero Emerson.

The 2014 commander’s work wasn’t bad, although no trophies were raised. He led the rebuilding of the group and took the team back to Libertadores. But as there was no title after years of spectacular achievements, the pendulum returned to 2012. In 2015, Tite returned. returned Sheik.

Emerson lasted six months – but would return again, at age 39, in 2018, in the constant back and forth of the Parque São Jorge club over the last decade. Tite went further. The coach failed in the first half, but in the second he fit the one who is his most offensive Corinthians, Brazilian champion with a wide advantage over the competitors.

He left in 2016 for the Brazilian national team, but left a disciple, Fábio Carille, who was part of his coaching staff. Already without the pieces of the 2015 national title, the paulista adopted the mentor’s old strategy, arming the team from a strong defense. He took the 2017 Brazilian and was three-time São Paulo champion in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

There was wear and tear, however, on the model, and Carille was fired. It was time again to renounce the Libertadores heritage and radically change course. President Andrés Sanchez hired young coach Tiago Nunes, who had been successful at Athletico Paranaense with an offensive proposal and arrived promising “rock’n’roll” football.

His first measure – in addition to establishing strict schedules and the need to ask permission to go to the bathroom during meals – was to warn that the steering wheel Ralf, a valuable piece in the conquest of America, was out of the plans. But the results were disastrous, and management found itself again in its recurring dilemma: embracing the past or plunging into the future.

He tried to do both, with Sylvinho, who had dressed in black and white in the 1990s and had worked on Tite’s coaching staff, but had youth, a modern outfit and a curriculum with courses for coaches held in Europe. It didn’t work out either, and the bet of the time is the Portuguese Vítor Pereira.

The European has no connection with Libertadores winner Corinthians, but is surrounded by champions. Cássio, 35, is still the black-and-white goalkeeper and the only one who has never left the club since the continental triumph. Fábio Santos, 36, is one of the options for the left side and has the confidence of the boss. The midfielder Paulinho, 33, is not playing because he suffered a serious injury.

Alessandro, 43, captain in the 2012 titles, is the football manager. Alex, 40, who has played free kicks for a decade, is on the coaching staff, managing the transition of the boys moving up and down the under-20 team. The youth coach is Danilo, 43, whose back-heel pass left Emerson in front of goal against Boca.

The Sheik passed through the board, but is no longer there. He had disagreements and left his post, but he is always attached to the kicks he took that 4th of July. Promoting Tuesday’s match (5) on SBT, he warned: “The referee can come, Boca can come, anyone can come. Because Corinthians is this: it’s a shirt full of blood or a shirt full of mud. “.

It is very difficult, however, the situation of the alvinegra formation, torn apart by embezzlement. In the first leg of the round of 16, in Itaquera, there was a 0-0 draw that only increased the problem: the very important Fagner and Willian were injured. That’s why, at Bombonera, you’ll need to get your shirt dirty and, as in 2012, count on Cássio.

In these ten years, the archer repeated with the crowd the dance that the board did with the idols. He is sometimes treated as a historical and irreplaceable figure. In the failures, there are mumbles: “thanks, but that’s enough”. This season, he has done very well and is the hope for the call of the game, broadcast on Emerson’s SBT: “2012, the year of liberation; 2022, the year of overcoming”.