Revealed by Coritiba and idol of the Coxa-Branca fans, the steering wheel William Farias faced his favorite team on Sunday night (8), at Couto Pereira, defending the yellow and black of Novorizontino.
The draw at Alto da Glória was good for the São Paulo team, who were behind on the scoreboard twice, but managed to get a point to return to the top of the table. Series Bwith 44 points in 25 rounds. But, according to Farias, the objective was, indeed, to win away from home.
“We are leaders. What do you think we would come here for? Of course we play against Coritiba, under their domains. I, more than anyone, know the strength they have here.“, said the number 8, in an interview with Transamerica Radioafter the game.
“It’s obvious that they would create opportunities, they weren’t lucky, but we are the leaders of the championship. We have to be respected. I know that Coritiba has a much greater history than Novorizontino, but, in 15 years, going from a club that has no series to a possible Series A has to be valued.“, added the athlete, who wore the green and white shirt in 265 matches – the 12th most times he defended the club in history.
Founded in 2010, Novorizontino has been a SAF since the end of 2023. Last season, Tigre was one point away from gaining access to the Brasileirão. Currently, the team has the best campaign in the Second Division, with 12 wins, eight draws and five losses and is emerging as a candidate for one of the four access spots.
“[O clube] “We have been targeted because we are in the G4. We have to keep our feet on the ground, with a lot of humility. Our team has its own identity, it is difficult to beat. We had a sequence of 12 games without losing. We have a very strong squad and we have to continue like this”, concluded Farias.
Willian Farias was not in Coritiba’s SAF plans
At 35 years old, Willian Farias left Coxa in the first days of 2024, when he brought forward the end of his contract by one season, in a mutually agreed decision. The truth is that the midfielder was not in the plans of the Coritiba SAF board, which advocated building a squad with more intensity and physical strength.
From captain to outcast, Willian Farias continued his career at Novorizontino. With the team from Novo Horizonte – a city with 38,000 inhabitants located 400 km from the state capital –, the defensive midfielder reached the semifinals of the Paulistão, where he was eliminated by Palmeiras. In the quarterfinals, however, the team surprised the favorite São Paulo.