Corinthians fight Copa do Brasil prize freeze, ex-president reacts

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Central do Timão

·2 January 2026

Corinthians fight Copa do Brasil prize freeze, ex-president reacts

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians is attempting, alongside Caixa Econômica Federal, to reverse the blocking of part of the prize money for winning the 2025 Copa do Brasil. The information was initially released by UOL Esporte. Additionally, according to the report, the president of Alvinegro, Osmar Stabile, met in recent days with Carlos Vieira, the bank's president, in an attempt to release these funds intended to assist in the club's cash flow at Parque São Jorge at the beginning of 2026.

In the negotiations, Corinthians argues that Caixa Econômica is using last year's revenue as a form of interest discount that would only be due throughout 2026. However, the bank relies on fiduciary assignment contracts signed with Alvinegro in 2023, during Duílio Monteiro Alves' administration, as an explanation for the blocking of these funds.

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Photo: Corinthians/Disclosure

UOL Esporte accessed the documents signed during the former president's term. They confirm that the guarantee presented by Corinthians is not limited to the principal of the debt nor to the budgetary exercise. The agreement also considers interest, charges, and corrections, regardless of the year of maturity.

In the document, Corinthians fiduciary assigns to Caixa Econômica Federal present and future revenues, including ticket sales, rentals, and other receivables – as a way to ensure the fulfillment of its financial obligations. Thus, the bank can retain any of the receivables that fall under the signed contract to safeguard against possible non-payment, even though the interest maturity is scheduled only for the following year.

As a result, Corinthians' justifications have little support considering the contractual reduction. Furthermore, the portal also learned that the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) deposited R$ 69 million to Corinthians for the Copa do Brasil tetracampeonato (1995, 2002, 2009, and 2025). The amount in question is R$ 8 million below the gross prize amount due to tax and levy deductions.

Of this total, about R$ 34 million was promised to the Corinthians squad as a 'bonus' for winning the national tournament. The remainder was intended to settle the debts that currently maintain Alvinegro's transfer ban at FIFA – a debt of R$ 40 million with Santos Laguna, Mexico, for the signing of defender Félix Torres in January 2024.

According to UOL, the amount withheld by Caixa, as well as that for performance in the 2025 Brazilian Championship, was tied to Corinthians' financial planning. Thus, Alvinegro ended up 'losing' the portion that would be used to settle more urgent commitments, in addition to those made with the players.

In an official statement, Duílio Monteiro Alves, president of Corinthians from 2021 to 2023, defended himself regarding the agreement made with Caixa Econômica Federal and also stated that the prize for the Copa do Brasil title may have been blocked by the bank because some installment had not been settled. Furthermore, he said that the deal made with Caixa was feasible, criticizing statements about agreements made by the institution's recent administrations.

"During my administration, we celebrated a very healthy agreement between Corinthians and Caixa Econômica, which reduced a contingency from R$ 3 billion to R$ 700 million regarding the Neo Química Arena. In our last year of management, we settled R$ 80 million related to this agreement. This payment should continue to be prioritized in the years following my departure. If any revenue listed as a guarantee was blocked, this unfortunately means that some overdue installment is outstanding."

"Regarding our management, it is worth mentioning that I reduced the debt with Caixa – which was not incurred by me – and that we paid the first installment, showing in 2023 that the agreement was feasible. We made a peaceful transition at the end of 2023 with the then-elected president, and all this was explained. The Neo Química Arena is one of the greatest prides of the Fiel and always will be. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor and combat the petty tactic of demonizing and breaching the agreements that enabled the settlement of our stadium, especially when it is used to justify the administrative irresponsibilities that followed, tearing up agreements as if they were not positive, in addition to significantly worsening the financial health of a club that, from 2021 to 2023, presented three surpluses", said the former president to UOL Esporte.

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