Corinthians duo regret Fabinho’s exit: “Back to square one” | OneFootball

By Tiago Salazar

The pair of defenders from Corinthians, André Ramalho and Gustavo Henrique, lamented the departure of football executive Fabinho Soldado. The players participated in a charity match organized by the executive this Saturday in São Caetano.

André Ramalho admitted that the Corinthians squad would have liked Fabinho to stay at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava. However, the defender respected the professional's decision.

“We were obviously sad. We would have liked him to stay, but it's a personal decision. We know how football is. Everyone defines their personal goals. We need to respect that, and it's up to the presidency to decide who will be the successor. Life goes on, and I'm sure the president will choose someone competent. For Fabinho, I only wish the best,” said the athlete.

Gustavo Henrique, on the other hand, stated that the group was already expecting the executive's departure and lamented the fact of “starting the work from scratch.” He was one of those who led the chant for the executive to stay at Corinthians during the Copa do Brasil title celebration at Neo Química Arena.

“It was a bit of a surprise, but not entirely. With all the turbulence that happened during the year, we expected this, I think he did too. That's football, life goes on. We didn't want this to happen, but it did. We really liked his work,” lamented Gustavo.

“The impact is very significant, now everything starts from scratch again. We build a work, solidify it, we won two important titles in a very turbulent year off the field. Now a director will come who doesn't know the club, will get to know it. But Corinthians is qualified for this, will look for a strong name, and we players will be there to help him adapt as quickly as possible,” he added.

(Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

Name Defined!

Hours after the interview with the defensive duo, the name of the new executive was already defined. It is Marcelo Paz, who left the position of CEO of SAF at Fortaleza to take over the football department at Corinthians.

Fabinho Soldado, in turn, is already thinking about the future. He admitted in an interview that he was approached by Internacional. The executive was secretive, but Gazeta Esportiva found out that the talks with the Colorado board are advanced.

Behind the Scenes of the Departure

The decision for Fabinho Soldado to leave Corinthians was made well before the final stretch of the Copa do Brasil. About 40 days before the decision, the executive met with Osmar Stabile and expressed his desire to leave.

The president tried to persuade him to stay, but Fabinho did not even want to hear a counteroffer. The parties then agreed to keep the departure secret until the end of the season. The official announcement came two days after the title.

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