Analysis: playing poorly is nothing new for Corinthians, but this time the crisis could be even worse | corinthians

“What Raul Gustavo did today is absurd”, says Careca Bertaglia | The Voice of the Fan

Corinthians’ performance in the 1-0 defeat to Argentinos Juniors recalled some of the team’s worst moments under the command of Mano Menezes. Or Luxembourg. By Fernando Lázaro, Silvinho, Vagner Mancini. There is no news. Barring a few spasms of good football, playing poorly has been routine for at least five years.

However, this time there is reason to fear an even worse outcome than in recent seasons.

The crisis experienced by Corinthians in 2024 is not just technical or tactical, it is also political and administrative, a combination that can be bombastic.

In just four months in office, President Augusto Melo has lost much of his political capital and faces the threat of his allied base collapsing. In parallel, football director Rubens Gomes seems destined to leave his position, a move that will certainly have an impact on football.

Corinthians chaos spills onto the pitch, where game after game the team regresses. The worst game always seems to be the next one.

Against Argentinos Juniors’ reserves, Corinthians once again conceded an early goal (this time after less than 2 minutes, following another mistake by Cássio) and lost their way.

Once again there was enormous creative difficulty. The team only scored once in each half, both with headers – with Pedro Henrique and Cacá.

The number of basic technical errors draws attention. Pass, throw, cross, control. But, as has been said in this space at other times, the problems are not only individual, but also collective.

Promising at its beginning, António Oliveira’s work not only stagnated but also evolved. Having difficulty finding an ideal lineup, the coach is also doing poorly when making changes – even though the options on the bench are scarce.

If the situation was already difficult with numerical equality, it became practically impossible after the expulsion of Raul Gustavo in yet another act of emotional imbalance by the defender.

The most inconceivable thing is that this limited squad received contracts worth more than R$130 million in 2024 and costs around R$21 million in salaries every month.

And there is no indication that in July, when the transfer window reopens, there will be a major revolution.

The season is not even halfway over yet, but the scenario is alarming. Corinthians needs to stop the different crises it is experiencing before it is too late.

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