Death threats change Corinthians' stance towards Depay | Goal.com
Corinthians president Osmar Stabile has announced a contract extension for Dutch international forward Memphis Depay, just a week after the club opted against renewing his deal. That earlier decision sparked a wave of fury among supporters and even brought death threats towards the club's management.
Speaking in comments reported by Spanish newspaper "Marca", Stabile confirmed the former Atletico Madrid and Barcelona forward will sign a new two-year contract keeping him at the club until the middle of 2028. The Corinthians board approved the move during a meeting held on Monday.
"Thank God, things went well and we obtained the votes needed for approval, and we now feel relieved after we succeeded in closing this file," the club president said on the matter.
Stabile also revealed that Depay, at Corinthians since September 2024, agreed to reduce the terms of his contract significantly after his previous deal expired at the end of July.
Last Tuesday, the club had announced in an official statement that it would not renew the 32-year-old forward's deal for financial reasons. It insisted that "committing to a new contract of this size is not, at present, compatible with the financial stability needed to guarantee the club's sustainability".
Fan anger forced the reversal. Supporters flooded the club with direct threats, while a group of hardcore ultras gathered outside Stabile's home, raising banners that read "Get out, you rats" and "The discipline is over".
Depay himself had aimed sharp criticism at the club, accusing it of breaking its promises. He wrote on social media: "I feel a great disappointment as a result of Corinthians' decision not to honour our agreement to extend the contract for two additional years, even though this renewal had been explicitly agreed with the club president and the sporting, legal and financial departments, before some decided to break this commitment."
Not long after, the club reopened negotiations with the player and settled on keeping him under former Brazil national team manager Fernando Diniz. Stabile explained: "Based on the assessments and the work we carried out in the legal, administrative and financial sectors, it became possible for us to meet the value of this contract."
The Dutch star has so far made 79 appearances in the Corinthians shirt, scoring 20 goals and providing 15 assists. He played a direct part in the team's triumphs in the "Campeonato Paulista" and the 2025 Copa do Brasil.
Orijinal haberi okuyun
