In a new role, Ivana Fuso comments on adapting to Corinthians, returning to the Brazilian team and changing the coaching staff

- By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial

Original striker, Ivana Fuso will complete, in the first week of July, one year playing for the Corinthians women's team. The player gave an exclusive interview to the Timão Delas portal and was asked how her adaptation to Brazilian football has been after building most of her career in Europe, playing in countries such as Germany, Switzerland and England.

"So, I think my adaptation was really cool. The girls helped me a lot here. They even spoke the best Portuguese. But so, the adaptation was very smooth. I think it was a moment of step by step and things like that. But, thank God, everything is going well and now I feel at home, very calm, in fact."

Photo: Cris Matos/Agência Corinthians

She continued: "So, really, as you already said, it was an adaptation, a little difficult at the beginning, but of course, it was a challenge and I like challenges. So, I try to grow, evolve and deliver everything I can deliver and every day I'm looking, getting better, every day I do more training and that's it, that's my mentality. A lot of race, a lot of dedication, so, I'm always going to do my best for this club, that's it, I think", she began.

Since his arrival at Parque São Jorge, he has scored four goals and four assists in 33 matches (17 as a starter), with 23 wins, five draws and five defeats - 74.75% success rate. He was part of the champion squad of the 2025 Women's Conmebol Libertadores, in Argentina, against Deportivo Cali, from Colombia.

Later, he analyzed the change in technical command at Brabas, detailing the differences in working methodologies between Lucas Piccinato and Emily Lima. The change in the technical area took place in the final stretch of February, after a lower-than-expected start to the Brasileirão from the Corinthians team. After the change, Ivana started to play as a right-back and cited what she saw as playing in the role, citing the importance of defender Erika and left-back Tamires.

"I think, as I'm a more offensive player and I play in midfield, sometimes you only think forward, you never think backwards, just score the goal. So, we were even joking, there was a joke between me and Erika, that when we conceded a goal, I felt really bad, that I was to blame. And in the beginning, as a striker, I blamed the defense. I was just blaming the defense. And now, as I'm on defense, I feel I blame a lot and I keep saying this, reviewing the video, reviewing the positioning, how I could prevent it and so on. So, now I understand Erika, Tamires, everyone suffers more."

"Of course, what has changed is also tactically. The new commission changed several things. The full-backs are not full-backs who stay low, stay high and are like a wing too. So, it was really these things, positioning and these things that needed to adjust, as I said, adapt. And that's what I think, it was, it's details I think, it's always details and details are really here in football very important. And I tried to look for and evolve every day in training and I think, Emily helped me a lot, Erika helped me a lot, She bothers me every day, she's very annoying, but like that, she demands it. So, I like her a lot, and I love her (Erika)."

Soon afterwards, she commented that she was surprised to have been called up by the Brazilian team for a period of training in Itu, in the interior of São Paulo, between the 15th and 20th of June, aiming to prepare for the 2027 Women's World Cup, which will take place on Brazilian soil.

"I was quite surprised, I didn't expect it. I'm very happy, it's gratifying, there's always a call-up to the national team. As I said, it's been a long time and it's every girl's dream. It's a dream come true for me and it was my dream to come back (to be called up). I'm very happy and I hope I can show, deliver and show who I am and my qualities, of course, on the right side. But, like this, in any position, because I'm very flexible now, right? I can play front and back, No goalkeeper, right? But many roles. So, this could maybe help in the future. So maybe, right? I hope everything goes well," he added.

Afterwards, he once again highlighted the work of coach Emily Lima in charge of Brabas and the squad's adaptation to the coach's game model. Currently, the Parque São Jorge club leads the Brazilian Championship of the sport with 28 points and is in the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil after eliminating Palmeiras in the middle of Allianz Parque.

"So, I think a lot has changed. Each committee brings something special, brings different things, so I think Emily's committee brought a lot of different things tactically, mentally. Everything new, I think, I was like that too, but, well, and then you get used to it, and I think we're embracing everything that's new. And you can see that, of course, we still have to evolve, we still have to grow, work every day, and, well, I think that over time we can already see that it's paying off."

"And I think we have to deliver, deliver and believe. What I can also say is that the new commission made a lot of difference, and, well, as I said, the last one also had good things. So, because they helped me too, I'm very grateful to them too. Moving forward and adapting. I think the group is embracing everything, the game plan and the idea, and that's the mentality, and that mentality we have to follow."

Ivana Fuso also responded about a remarkable moment since her arrival at Alvinegro and mentioned the Champions Cup dispute, held in England, between the end of January and the beginning of February. The Parque São Jorge club beat Gotham FC, from the United States, 1 x 0, in the semi-final, and was beaten by Arsenal, from England, in extra time, by a score of 3 x 2.

"So when I arrived I said: 'man, that's cool', like, winning an award, but as I said, they are all very complicated, and I can only say, what marked me was there at the World Cup, against Gotham, and even Arsenal, but what marked me was Gotham, because it was a very difficult game, we weren't even physically well. Imagine if we were physically well, and we went there, delivered, played, gave everything, and went to the final. And, of course, Arsenal is Arsenal, we tried until the last minute, you could see it, but I think the World Cup had a big impact on me. Next year will be the same thing, in Miami."

Finally, the right-back spoke about the most difficult team she has faced so far while defending the Corinthians shirt and a message she would give herself when she arrived at the club in the middle of last year: "So, I haven't played against all the teams yet. I only played against Palmeiras, Cruzeiro, but I think that everyone, with all due respect, I respect everyone, that's why I say, they are all complicated, they all bring other characteristics. Challenges that you have to face, even more so, here the fields don't help either, right? Well, I think, I'm going to say them all because I don't want to say just this one and that one, because my respect for them all is very great, so I think it's always complicated, you can even lose against the last one, understand?"

"It's like in England, like, it's never guaranteed, nothing is guaranteed, you know? So I think so, the challenge is always there, it will always be difficult against any team, so, let's talk about the old days, right? Corinthians won 8-0 against such and such. Now it doesn't have that, but because it's already evolving, it's growing, as I said. So you need to be helping. I hope VAR will also come one day, because it really needs it. It needs to improve a lot too. So there are still several questions, but it's evolving, it's growing."

She concludes: "I think the word was patience (advice she would give herself when she arrived). In the beginning it was a lot of patience because with the papers and things like that, it would be difficult to feel well again and so on. So I think I trust the process, right? Trust the process, working harder every day, seeking better, believing, continuing to believe in the difficulties. With the papers and stuff. But yeah, yeah, keep believing and I was going to say trust the process, trust the process, the work, because that will pay off. So that's it."

The post In a new role, Ivana Fuso comments on adapting to Corinthians, returning to the Brazilian team and changing the coaching staff first appeared on Central do Timão.

The content In a new role, Ivana Fuso comments on adapting to Corinthians, returning to the Brazilian team and changing the coaching staff appears first in Central do Timão.

Source: Timao Central