Corinthians secure R$70m loan to ease finances and lift transfer ban

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Central do Timão

·18 December 2025

Corinthians secure R$70m loan to ease finances and lift transfer ban

By Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial Team

After internally approving a budget marked by "tightening the belt" for 2026, Corinthians is close to securing a loan of around R$ 70 million to ease immediate cash flow demands, according to information released by ESPN.

The agreement, described behind the scenes as "well underway," is being negotiated with Liga Forte União (LFU). The discussed alternative foresees that the payment of the amount will be made directly from R$ 36 million quotas related to 2026 of the current contract, with an interest rate tied to the CDI (Interbank Deposit Certificate) +3, reaching about 17%.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

Besides reinforcing the cash flow, part of the resources should be used to settle the transfer ban applied by FIFA to the club, due to outstanding payments for the signing of defender Félix Torres.

Timão was ordered by the highest football authority to pay US$ 6.14 million — approximately R$ 34 million at current values — to Santos Laguna (MEX), plus a 15% fine on the total outstanding and 18% annual interest for late payment.

This possibility was presented to the members of the Corinthians Advisory Council (CORI) in a meeting held on October 29, receiving unanimous approval from the body. At that time, the club projected the need to raise R$ 27.5 million in November, in addition to another R$ 72.5 million for December 2025, totaling R$ 100 million.

Corinthians remains barred by FIFA from registering new players until an agreement is reached with Santos Laguna in the case involving Félix Torres.

Among the six penalties imposed on the club by the entity, two have already been confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Besides the block related to the debt with the Mexicans, Corinthians was also ordered to fully settle the contract of midfielder Matias Rojas. Together, the two penalties exceed R$ 85 million.

The club is still awaiting the position of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in cases concerning four other players: Rodrigo Garro, Maycon, José Martínez, and Charles. If the decisions uphold FIFA's understanding, the total value of the penalties could exceed R$ 125 million.

For 2026, Corinthians is working with an austerity budget. The document, approved by both the Advisory Council (CORI) and the Deliberative Council, projects a surplus of R$ 12 million and an operational result with a profit of R$ 320 million.

Among the planned measures is the reduction of "personnel" expenses, with a 19% cut in costs with salaries of employees and athletes, which should decrease from R$ 505 million to R$ 410 million.

In the football department alone, the forecast is to reduce expenses from R$ 435 million to R$ 354 million in 2026, which would represent an approximate impact of R$ 6.2 million on the payroll.

The budget also includes R$ 151 million from transfers of federative rights and FIFA's solidarity mechanism in athlete transfers, as well as R$ 335 million in broadcasting rights and R$ 255 million in sponsorship revenue.

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