Corinthians is experiencing a difficult season. Even after their sixth consecutive league defeat in Brazil's top division, Fernando Diniz remains in charge, acknowledging that he is going through the worst period of his managerial career at the club, a tenure that has lasted less than two months.

The difficult period Diniz describes began on July 30, when Corinthians fielded a rotated squad and drew 0-0 against Athletico Paranaense in the Brasileirão. It has continued through last Sunday's defeat to Fluminense and also includes their elimination from the Copa do Brasil and Copa Libertadores.

With Diniz still in charge, Corinthians will not return to action until October 7 (CEST), when they face Internacional away in Matchday 29 of the Brasileirão. The team has no other competitions or rescheduled matches, and the international break will give them time to regroup and attempt to improve their results.

In early August, Corinthians suffered a heavy blow in the Round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil. As the defending champions, they lost 0-2 away to Internacional in the first leg. Although they won the second leg 2-1 at home, they were eliminated. This was a significant and premature setback.

In the following weeks, the team's performance in the Brasileirão was inconsistent, but their hopes remained alive in another knockout competition, the Copa Libertadores. A 0-0 draw away in Argentina, followed by a narrow 1-0 home victory against Rosario Central, helped the team reach the quarterfinals.

However, another Argentine team ended Corinthians' Libertadores journey: a 1-1 draw in the first leg, followed by a 0-1 home defeat to Estudiantes de La Plata, compounded by Depay's failure to convert a penalty in the final minutes, brought another major disappointment. Their dream of winning a double was over.

Two other key figures have been central to this crisis: one is greatly missed due to exceptional performances, the other has drawn attention due to prolonged absence. Yuri Alberto, a crucial player in Diniz's tactical system, suffered an injury during the match against Athletico Paranaense, marking the start of the team's losing streak, and has not returned to action.

He has begun recovery training following a Grade 2 hamstring injury on his left leg, but suffered a setback and will not return until October 7, after the international break. The absence of this striker in all crucial matches during this period has greatly affected the team.

Depay could have attempted to fill the void left by the injured striker and carry greater responsibility, but he too has faced difficulties, though not muscular issues. After prolonged contract negotiations, the Dutch player saw the fans support him and ultimately remained with the club.

However, on the pitch, he has been unable to deliver the expected performance. Not only has his form fallen short of expectations, but he also failed to convert a penalty in the final minutes against Estudiantes de La Plata. Corinthians had placed the chance to seal the match at the star's feet, only to see his shot sail over the crossbar, resulting in the team's elimination. Another painful blow.

With their elimination, the absence of their key striker, and poor performances from Depay and Rodrigo Garro, Corinthians has matched a negative record in the Brasileirão. The team now faces six consecutive defeats in the league, a streak that has only occurred once before in the points era in 2006.

Currently, Corinthians has not fallen into the relegation zone, but their hopes of securing a Copa Libertadores spot are rapidly diminishing.

"I think these 40 days are the worst period of my managerial career. If you look at the rest of it, this is one of my best managerial jobs. The results are like a rollercoaster. We won some games early on, and if you only look at results, the start was not bad, but now it's well below average," Diniz said.

Since July 30, Corinthians has played a total of 14 matches, with a record of 3 wins, 3 draws, and 8 losses, and has been eliminated from the Copa do Brasil and Copa Libertadores.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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