“He deserves respect”, says former Corinthians defender on Memphis Depay | OneFootball

Former center-back Leandro Castán, who played for Corinthians between 2010 and mid-2012, gave an interview to Gazeta Esportiva and highlighted the importance of forward Memphis Depay for the club from Parque São Jorge. Timão’s number 10 is under contract until July 31, 2026, and his future at the club remains uncertain. Alvinegro has a debt of R$ 40 million related to bonuses and rewards for contractually agreed targets that were met and, at the same time, is going through a delicate financial moment, as it has a debt of nearly R$ 3 billion.

“It’s a very delicate issue and also difficult to talk about, because I’m not there behind the scenes, I don’t know what happens internally. What we do know is that Corinthians is going through a very serious financial crisis. And I don’t know if ‘effort’ would be the right word, but Memphis (Depay) has certainly left his mark on the club, he arrived, won titles, so he deserves respect.”

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

“I don’t know what the club’s next steps will be, because it really is a very delicate matter. As I said, the club is going through a restructuring process, but I’m going to wait and hope that he stays, because as I said, I want the great players in world football to be in our country, to be in our football,” he said.

It is worth remembering that, at the end of March, Memphis Depay suffered a grade 2 muscle injury in his right thigh and spent a little over two months without taking the field for Corinthians. The Dutchman only returned to action on May 24, coming off the bench when Alvinegro beat Atlético-MG 1-0 in the Brasileirão at Neo Química Arena. On that occasion, he played for 29 minutes. Then, on the 27th, he was on the field for the first 45 minutes of the match against Platense-ARG in the Libertadores group stage in Itaquera.

Before the start of the World Cup, the Netherlands played two friendlies. Memphis Depay featured in only one: the 1-0 defeat to Algeria on the 3rd, when he came on at halftime to replace defensive midfielder Gravenberch. Then, last Monday (8), he remained on the bench in the Dutch team’s 2-1 comeback win over Uzbekistan. This season, he has just one goal and one assist in 14 matches for Timão.

On the afternoon of last Sunday (14), Memphis played 20 minutes in the Netherlands’ 2-2 draw against Japan at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, in their World Cup opener. On the field, his performance was not particularly notable, earning a 6.5 rating on Sofascore, a sports statistics app. He came on in place of forward Mallen.

Signed by Corinthians in September 2024 after not renewing his contract with Atlético de Madrid of Spain, Memphis Depay was key to the team’s surge in the Brasileirão two years ago (from the relegation zone to the Libertadores qualifying rounds), and was also decisive in the club’s title wins in the Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026), against Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, and Flamengo, respectively. In addition, he has 20 goals and 15 assists in 79 matches for Timão.

In European football, he has had spells at PSV (Netherlands), Manchester United (England), Lyon (France), Barcelona (Spain), and Atlético de Madrid (Spain). Wearing the Netherlands shirt, he has 55 goals in 110 matches, making him the top scorer in the country’s history, surpassing names such as Robin van Persie.

Leandro Castán’s numbers for Corinthians

The defender played for Corinthians between February 2010 and July 2012, scoring three goals and providing one assist in 111 matches (106 as a starter), with 56 wins, 32 draws, and 23 losses — a 60.06% success rate. In addition, he won two titles: the Brazilian Championship (2011) and the Conmebol Libertadores (2012).

After ending his playing career, Castán began his first job as a coach in 2026. He currently manages Real Soccer’s Under-20 team in São Paulo.

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