Memphis Depay's Brazilian adventure is far from being a quiet river. On September 10, the Dutchman said yes to Corinthians, he who was free after the end of his contract at Atlético de Madrid. Courted throughout the summer by several clubs in Europe, the former OL player had not found the right fit. Some teams had mentioned the high financial demands of the native of Moordrecht. The latter therefore decided to take on a new challenge in Brazil, even though he had rejected a first approach from Corinthians during the transfer window. He finally let himself be seduced and signed a lease until July 2026. And very quickly, the attacker explained his choice to join the Auriverde championship.
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Memphis gets back into shape
“I think we need to recognize where authentic football comes from. Many stars from all over the world come from Brazil, we know great Brazilian players. It's the Mecca of football, the beautiful game is here. Children in Europe follow players from here, even for their way of embracing life, because it's not just football. My reason for being here is bigger than football.he confessed, before specifying that he wanted to help the Brazilian Serie A team. But his beginnings were not exactly flamboyant. He was also attacked by the press and especially by the Corinthians supporters, who had also published a video with a compilation of all his failures.
“I appreciate it when Europeans go through a difficult time in South America. They come here thinking it's easy and it's not, Dad. You're going to have to work hard and play seriously.”had blurted out one of them. Another declared: “he thought that the Brasileirao was the Arab or Chinese league.” After this shower of criticism, Memphis, who found his best physical form, put in a series of interesting performances. Thus, he scored 4 goals and delivered 4 assists in 11 appearances in all competitions under the colors of the São Paulo club (8 matches played in the league and 3 in the Copa Sudaméricana, 729 minutes played this season, editor's note). Happy in Brazil, the case of the 30-year-old player nevertheless concerns everyone this Friday.
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But he loses his smile
Indeed, UOL reveals that the Dutch footballer is threatening to slam the door. According to the Brazilian publication, “Memphis is worried and wants to leave the Corinthians in the event of the dismissal of President Augusto Melo”. The Dutch star, who was recruited by the current management, takes a very dim view of the possible departure of the president, who could be removed from his functions, and of his board of directors, which will go with him. Corinthians head of football Fabinho Soldado, along with other club executives, had to call Memphis to try to reassure him. But UOLwhich cites sources close to management, indicates that the former MU threatened to leave in the event of the dismissal of its president.
This is not the first time that Depay's departure has been mentioned since his signing. At the beginning of October, AS revealed that Corinthians' main sponsor, sports betting company Esportes da Sorte, was not authorized to operate in Brazil. Except that it was this company that financed a large part of the salaries and bonuses paid to Memphis. The latter should have if no solution was found with the sponsor, who should have withdrawn. Ultimately, Brazil gave permission to Esportes da Sorte, which was able to continue its collaboration with the São Paulo club and therefore Memphis was able to stay. This time, the situation is different since it is the player himself who threatens to leave. Especially since the winter transfer window is fast approaching…
Pub. the 22/11/2024 19:05
– UPDATE 23/11/2024 01:22
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