Corinthians out of the Copinha in 2026? Here’s what’s going on | OneFootball

The absence of Corinthians from the Movimento dos Clubes Formadores do Futebol Brasileiro (MCFFB) has caused apprehension behind the scenes of youth football in recent days. Rumors indicated that the club could be excluded from the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior in 2026 and that some teams had even threatened not to participate in the tournament if Timão remained among the participants.

Corinthians, however, is handling the matter calmly. As reported by Gazeta Esportiva, the club does not fear being banned from participating in the 2026 Copinha.

According to sources close to the board interviewed by the report, Timão has the support of the Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF). The organization, which runs the competition, is said to have guaranteed the black-and-white team’s presence in next year’s Copa São Paulo, despite pressure from other clubs.

(Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel/Corinthians)

Corinthians: tradition in the Copinha

The Copinha is traditionally a tournament of great importance for Corinthians. The club usually attracts crowds and television audiences. The black-and-white team, in fact, has reached the finals of the competition in the last two years, winning one title and finishing as runner-up in the other. In total, the club has won the trophy 11 times.

Exclusion from the MCF

Corinthians was excluded from the Movimento dos Clubes Formadores in January of this year. This happened because Timão signed Pedro Morelli, 15 years old, who belonged to Palmeiras. The Alviverde claimed that the black-and-white club lured the young player. In a statement, the Parque São Jorge team denied the accusation.

Verdão then requested Corinthians’ exclusion from the group, and the request was granted. It’s worth noting that João Paulo Sampaio, director of youth football at Verdão, is also president of the MCFFB Ethics Council.

Youth system overhaul

Corinthians has been undergoing a restructuring of its youth divisions since Osmar Stabile took office. The club, for example, hired a new football executive to replace the dismissed Alex Brasil: Erasmo Damiani. He has been working alongside Carlos Roberto Auricchio, known as Nenê do Posto, the statutory director of the youth divisions.

In addition, Timão brought in William Batista to lead the under-20 team and is close to signing a new coach for the under-17 category. The club is also planning changes in the department, which was the target of corruption allegations at the beginning of the season, during Augusto Melo’s administration.

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