On loan from Corinthians, full-back starts as a starter after almost nine months

- By Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial

Loaned by Corinthians to Universidad Católica, in Ecuador, Diego Palacios once again received an opportunity among the starters after a long period. Last Monday, the left-back started the match against Mushuc Runa, valid for the 17th round of the Ecuadorian Championship, played at the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium, in Quito. The team ended up defeated 3-2.

The defender remained on the field for 63 minutes in Universidad Católica's first match after the calendar was stopped due to the World Cup. He was subsequently replaced by Eric Valencia.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

According to a Sofascore survey, Palacios showed a good pass accuracy rate, completing 29 of 31 attempts, achieving a 94% success rate. Furthermore, he recovered possession, created a scoring opportunity and won one of the five duels he played throughout the match.

The Ecuadorian left the field in the 18th minute of the final stage, when his team was still defeated by 2-0. None of the goals conceded by Universidad Católica came with the player's direct participation.

The last time Palacios had started a game as a starter occurred on October 19, 2025. At the time, he was playing for Karpaty, from Ukraine, a club for which he also played on loan from Corinthians.

The full-back is enjoying a moment of greater use under the command of coach Diego Martínez. Before the two consecutive matches in which he was called up, he had spent more than a month without taking the field, remaining on the bench in four consecutive matches.

Since arriving at Universidad Católica, the player has played ten official matches. In total, he spent 224 minutes on the field, averaging just over 22 minutes per game.

Palacios returned to Ecuadorian football at the beginning of this season, shortly after ending his spell at Karpaty, where he remained for approximately four months.

The full-back arrived at Corinthians at the beginning of 2024, during Augusto Melo's management. Free on the market after the end of his contract with Los Angeles FC, from the United States, the defender signed with the São Paulo club without costs relating to economic rights.

His time at Parque São Jorge, however, was marked by few opportunities and physical problems. In about a year and a half, he took to the field only four times and suffered successive injuries to his left knee.

In August 2025, Corinthians chose to loan him to Karpaty. In Ukrainian football, however, he also had little space, playing only two matches before no longer being listed for games from October of that year.

In early 2026, Palacios returned to Corinthians only to be traded again on loan. This time, the destination was the Catholic University. The operation also represented financial relief for the black and white club, which reduced its salary bill by approximately R$2.6 million.

The Ecuadorian's loan contract with Universidad Católica runs until the end of the 2026 season. His definitive contract with Corinthians remains valid until December 2027. The expectation now is that the full-back will be able to maintain a sequence of performances as a starter at the Ecuadorian club.

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Source: Timao Central