Alef Manga reveals he nearly joined Corinthians before year-long ban | OneFootball

Remo forward Alef Manga says he was on the brink of signing for Corinthians before a disciplinary case kept him out for a year.

"In truth, there were three clubs that were close, and the closest was Corinthians. It was between Grêmio, São Paulo and Corinthians." He was speaking to Resenha ESPN.

"The one that was most advanced was Corinthians. Of course it is my wish, I have always said in other interviews that I dream of being able to play for Corinthians."

The deal did not materialise after he was punished by the STJD in August 2023 over a betting-related match manipulation case. He was suspended for 360 days after the STJD ruled he intentionally received a yellow card in Coritiba’s match against América-MG in 2022. The scheme was uncovered by the investigation dubbed 'Operação Penalidade Máxima'.

"It was close, but after all of that happened, things went backwards."

Manga returned in October 2024 and has since featured for Coritiba, Avaí and Remo. In that period he has played 37 games, scoring five goals and recording two assists.

Source: Meu Timao