Corinthians uncover irregularities and Nike kit diversion in internal audit | OneFootball

The Corinthians conducted an internal audit and identified possible irregularities in the distribution of sports materials provided by Nike. The initiation of the inquiry was requested by the board led by President Osmar Stabile, who received the material in hand in recent days.

The report covers the board of the ousted president Augusto Melo and also Stabile's management. The internal audit was carried out based on six distinct procedures: responsibility chart, information gathering, interviews, document analysis, sample testing, and physical inspections.

The document revealed a series of irregularities found in the management of sports materials supplied to the club. The team responsible for the report found not only a significant increase in the number of items withdrawn compared to 2024 but also identified materials in poor condition, as well as poorly maintained storage facilities. There was also the identification of a possible illegal trade of products belonging to the club, allegedly by the club's own employees.

(Photo: José Manoel Idalgo/Corinthians)

In 2025, for example, Corinthians received 41,963 items from Nike – a total counted until October 10th. This number represents a 24% increase compared to 2024, which was 33,902 items. During this period, the value of this amount totals R$ 23,772,090.37 – which exceeds the R$ 4 million related to the "non-chargeable annual quota" agreed with the sports material supplier.

Of these 41,963 materials received by the club, 64% (26,730 items) were allocated to the Parque São Jorge warehouse, which supplies items for sports such as women's football, futsal, and basketball. The CT Dr. Joaquim Grava, it should be noted, is reserved for the professional team and board. The information was initially published by Central do Timão.

In a statement released recently, Corinthians informed that Stabile handed the report to the president of the Deliberative Council and requested that the DC commissions investigate the facts. Romeu Tuma Júnior, in turn, confirmed receipt of the document and forwarded it to the Justice Commission.

Lack of jerseys affected the professional team

The irregularity in the management of sports materials supplied by Nike even affected the professional team. On September 13th, Corinthians had to make a last-minute change before the match against Fluminense at Maracanã, during the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship.

According to the document, Corinthians noticed that there would not be enough white jerseys for the entire team. The club even requested an urgent delivery, but there was not enough time. The solution found was to request a uniform exchange directly with Fluminense's management, who complied with the request.

On that occasion, Corinthians played with their second jersey and black shorts, while Fluminense also played with their second uniform, with white jerseys and shorts.

Corinthians vs. Fluminense, on September 13, 2025 (Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians)

Irregularities in youth team jerseys

The internal audit also diagnosed that Corinthians has been bearing the costs of purchasing licensed sports materials to standardize certain sports. According to the document, only a small portion of the products received by the club were allocated to the youth categories. This year, for example, only the under-20 team received complete training materials.

The youth football department, according to the report, was advised to ration the use of sports materials, under the justification that there would not be enough uniforms to serve the delegation that would compete in the São Paulo Junior Football Cup. Some futsal items, including, were also in poor condition.

Vice-president becomes target in audit

Corinthians' vice-president, Armando Mendonça, became one of the main targets of the club's internal audit. The professional took over the management of sports materials in May this year. According to the report, between six and 11 additional jerseys are requested, in the name of the wardrobe, per game, for "board relations." The uniforms would be predominantly intended for the director.

Still according to the document, Armando Mendonça allegedly requested the remaining uniforms from the classic match between Corinthians and Palmeiras, held on August 31st. The jerseys had the NFL commemorative patch. The audit also pointed out that the club's vice-president would have withdrawn 131 additional items, which would not be included in the quota of jerseys for "board relations" on game days.

The report also accused Armando Mendonça of having shown "concern" about the course of the audit in a conversation with Marcelo Munhoes, the club's technology director. At a certain point, the dialogue would have taken on a "more incisive character, with expressions of an aggressive nature and allusions interpreted as threats."

Armando Mendonça, in turn, stated that he is not responsible for the "distribution guidelines of Nike materials" in a statement sent to ge. See below what the vice-president of Corinthians said:

"The information that I am responsible for the distribution guidelines of Nike materials at Corinthians and the management of the warehouses is false.

Due to the chaos found in June this year, when Augusto Melo's management did not perform the necessary control and, in January 2025, had already greatly exceeded the annual quota, I personally decided to help in the approval chain system for material withdrawal, precisely to provide greater transparency and control over the club's assets and avoid losses and wrongdoing.

Since then, I constantly request improvements in the system for the flow of control of Nike material withdrawals.

It is important to emphasize that it is neither my responsibility nor has it ever been to define the internal distribution policy by department, which is usually done each year.

My role is to analyze extra requests and authorize them according to needs, together with the administrative department.

I deeply regret information disconnected from the truth and unsupported by any probative material.

Moreover, I will always support improvements, greater control, and correct investigation of irregularities".

Corinthians sends report to DC

In an official statement, Corinthians clarified the next steps. According to the club, President Osmar Stabile sent the audit document to the Deliberative Council, requesting the proper investigation of the facts by the DC commissions. See below what the note says:

"Sport Club Corinthians Paulista informs that the President of the Board, Osmar Stabile, delivered to the Presidency of the Deliberative Council the internal audit report of the stocks and management processes of sports materials provided by Nike to the club for the years 2024 and 2025, requesting that the DC Commissions conduct the proper analysis and investigation of the facts.

The internal audit was conducted following a determination by the Board Presidency, in the months of September and October 2025, in the warehouses of CT Dr. Joaquim Grava and Parque São Jorge".

The club's Deliberative Council, through a statement signed by Romeu Tuma Júnior, highlighted that it received the report and forwarded it to the Justice Commission for "analysis and investigation of the facts." See below the full note released by the DC:

"The Presidency of the Deliberative Council of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista informs that it received from the Board Presidency the internal audit report of the stocks and management processes of sports materials provided by Nike to the club. Immediately, the President of the DC, Romeu Tuma Júnior, forwarded it to the Justice Commission for analysis and investigation of the facts. The work will be accompanied by the President of the DC Ethics Commission, aiming at any future need for action by the disciplinary body.

Following statutory procedures, the parties mentioned will be heard so that a detailed and conclusive report can be prepared by the Justice Commission and delivered for deliberation by the DC Presidency".

Civil Police also investigates irregularities

On October 24th, the São Paulo Civil Police opened an inquiry to investigate the possible misappropriation of sports materials at Corinthians. The investigation began at the request of the São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office (MP-SP), made by prosecutor Cassio Roberto Conserino, who leads another investigation into undue expenses in the managements of Andrés Sanchez, Duilio Monteiro Alves, and Augusto Melo.

The case is being handled by the Sports Intolerance Crimes Repression Division (Drade), an agency linked to the Civil Police's Department of Homicide and Personal Protection (DHPP). Authorities are investigating the suspicion of qualified theft.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.