Moroccan midfielder and left-back watch Corinthians from VIP boxes

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Central do Timão

·9 February 2026

Moroccan midfielder and left-back watch Corinthians from VIP boxes

By Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians took to the field on the evening of this Sunday (8) to face Palmeiras in a match valid for the seventh round of the Paulista Championship, at the Neo Química Arena. Besides the classic, the Derby had a special presence in the stands: Zakaria Labyad, a Moroccan midfielder who is close to being announced as a reinforcement for the alvinegro club.

The arrival of the 32-year-old player in São Paulo was scheduled for the early evening. Labyad was seen in one of the boxes at Casa do Povo, a space that belongs to Memphis Depay, his personal friend and former teammate at PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands.

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Photo: Instagram/Reproduction

Already in Brazil, the midfielder is expected to undergo medical examinations in the coming days. After this stage, he will still need to wait for the completion of bureaucratic procedures before being officially confirmed by Corinthians. Labyad has been without a club since the end of the 2025 season when he bid farewell to Dalian Yingbo, China, and has not played since November 22 of last year.

Besides him, left-back Fabrizio Angileri was also in one of the boxes at the Neo Química Arena to watch the Derby. The player, who had a contract with Corinthians until the end of last season, reached an agreement to sign a new contract with the club after a long period of negotiations.

Angileri had a contract with Corinthians valid until the end of 2025, but negotiations for his stay had previously been interrupted due to financial hurdles. The disagreements prevented an agreement at that time, which distanced the Argentine from activities with the main group. Still, the left-back's interest was always to remain at the club, and thus there was no agreement with another team.

So far, Corinthians has announced four signings in this transfer window, which remains open until March: defender Gabriel Paulista, full-back Pedro Milans, midfielder Matheus Pereira, and forward Kaio César.

Check out the image of Zakaria Labyad in a box at the Neo Química Arena:

Zakaria Labyad (to the right of the man with a cap) watching the classic between Corinthians and Palmeiras at the Neo Química Arena. Photo: Fabio Luigi/Central do Timão

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