Brazilian media: Corinthians owe Depay €4 million in salary, saying his annual salary is ridiculously high
6686 Sports reported on November 5, according to Brazilian media UOL, the Brazilian Corinthians club currently owes Dutch star Depay nearly 4 million euros, mainly involving appearance bonuses, goal bonuses and signing fees agreed in the contract. The news was officially confirmed by club president Omar Stabilai at a board meeting last Wednesday.
Depay joined Corinthians in 2024 with a high profile and was regarded as a blockbuster signing in Brazilian football. As a former Dutch international who has played for top European clubs such as Manchester United, Lyon, and Barcelona, his arrival not only greatly increased Corinthians' international attention, but also allowed this old Sao Paulo team to once demonstrate its ambition to compete with European teams for stars.
However, behind the glamor is heavy financial pressure. According to Brazilian media UOL, Depay and the club actually signed five valid contracts at the same time, including a main labor contract and multiple additional agreements. According to the original plan, Corinthians should pay the second signing fee on September 15, amounting to nearly 1 million euros, but ultimately failed to fulfill the contract on time.
Faced with the risk of default, the club had to negotiate urgently with Depay. The two parties have reached a debt restructuring plan in September: the arrears of approximately 3 million euros will be repaid in two stages - 1.5 million euros will be paid in monthly installments from now on until February 2025; the remaining 1.5 million euros will be paid in one lump sum in March 2025.
Although the crisis was temporarily resolved, the incident triggered strong reflection within Corinthians. At the board meeting, legal director Pedro Soares bluntly stated that Depay's contract was "seriously divorced from reality." He specifically pointed out that the contract clearly stipulates that Depay will receive a net salary after tax (that is, all taxes will be borne by the club). This is extremely rare in the current environment of general austerity in Brazilian football, and may even involve tax compliance issues. Soares suggested that the management personnel who led the signing should be investigated.
