Corinthians line up exit for forward in case that ousted club from MCF | OneFootball

Corinthians has reached an internal consensus to part ways with forward Pedro Morelli, the young player at the center of the deadlock involving the club and the Movement of Training Clubs in Brazilian Football (MCF). The decision went through different sectors of the board and now only depends on approval from president Osmar Stabile to be made official.

According to information first reported by Meu Timão and confirmed by Central do Timão, the measure was defined after Corinthians failed to reach an understanding with Morelli’s family regarding the solution negotiated with Palmeiras to make the club’s return to the MCF possible.

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The proposal discussed between the rivals provided for a change in the forward’s contract, as he currently belongs to the Under-17 category. Under the agreement, Corinthians would pay R$ 1 million to Palmeiras and, in return, the two clubs would begin sharing the player’s economic rights.

For the deal to be completed, however, the consent of Morelli’s family would be necessary. The family holds half of the economic rights set out in the current contract and would need to give up that share for the new division between Corinthians and Palmeiras to be established, but talks did not progress. According to the report, the forward’s family rejected the possibility of Palmeiras once again having any share in the player’s economic rights.

Talks to try to resolve the impasse lasted for more than three months after Corinthians and Palmeiras reached an initial understanding. During that period, Morelli lost space within the squad. The forward stopped being called up for matches and later also stopped taking part in training with the Corinthians team.

Given the lack of an agreement, the board began to consider the player’s departure as the necessary path to try to unlock the process of Corinthians returning to the MCF. Stabile’s final approval is expected to come by this Wednesday, before the president travels to Argentina to accompany the black-and-white delegation in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 against Rosario Central.

The relationship between Corinthians and the MCF was broken in January 2025, when the club ended up being excluded from the movement after a complaint filed by Palmeiras involving an alleged attempt to poach Pedro Morelli.

At the time, the player left the Barra Funda club and went on to play for Corinthians in the Under-14 category. The complaint was reviewed by the MCF’s ethics council and ultimately resulted in Timão’s expulsion. The process also involved strong participation from João Paulo Sampaio, Palmeiras’ youth academy coordinator.

The Movement of Training Clubs establishes rules of conduct for negotiations involving athletes between the ages of 10 and 14. The rules seek to combat the poaching of players in an age group before the existence of a training contract, setting parameters that go beyond the legislation applicable to athletes who still do not have a federative bond.

Corinthians’ departure from the group had consequences for the club. Without being part of the MCF, Timão no longer had the support of the main Brazilian teams for the movement’s rules regarding its youth categories. Since then, several players from the lower divisions have left Parque São Jorge.

In addition to the difficulty in keeping players, Corinthians was also prevented from taking part in some relevant youth competitions, including the Under-15 Copa Votorantim and the Nike Cup for the same age group.

Since the expulsion, the black-and-white club has been seeking a solution with Palmeiras to regain its place in the movement. The case involving Pedro Morelli has since become one of the main points of discussion in negotiations between the two boards.

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