Corinthians chief on youth revamp, president talks, Iago Machado potential | OneFootball

On the morning of last Monday (8), the executive of football for the youth categories of Corinthians, Erasmo Damiani, gave an interview to the program Entre Linhas of the portal Meu Timão, and was questioned about some important topics that have been surrounding the department in recent months. The professional was hired by Alvinegro in mid-October to replace Alex Brasil, who held the same position and ended up being dismissed.

Throughout the interview, Erasmo Damiani highlighted the potential of defender Iago Machado (2009), who is already a starter for the Under-20 team and has been training with the professional squad. Additionally, he also talked about the difficulty clubs face in owning 100% of the economic rights of young athletes, citing the case of midfielder André Luiz as an example. The Son of Terrão received an offer from Milan, but Alvinegro backed out of the negotiation, understanding that the value was low and they only had 70% of the player's rights. Finally, the executive detailed the restructuring process in the club's base and an alignment with president Osmar Stabile regarding adjustments he deemed necessary.

Photo: Corinthians/Disclosure

Check below the executive's responses throughout the interview:

Potential of young players in Corinthians' youth categories

“I don't like to talk individually about athletes because there are many players in the categories and football changes quickly. Sometimes we highlight a name and, shortly after, another athlete evolves and gains space. In general, Corinthians has players in various categories with good potential to perform in the medium and long term. It's not just Iago: there are athletes in the Under-15, Under-14, and Under-17 who also show quality.”

Development of Iago Machado (defender, 2009), potential for the professional team, and preparation of 'substitutes'

“The base forms players, but it is the professional who reveals them. If Iago is ready, it will be up to the professional to give this opportunity at the right moment. He is an athlete with great potential. I worked for three years at CBF, in high-level competitions like the World Cup, South American, and Olympics, facing the best from each country, and I see that Iago has the capacity to reach the professional level soon.”

“Today, Corinthians has players with good prospects, but this process happens gradually. I usually tell the boys that football doesn't choose day, time, or place, so it's necessary to always be prepared. At any moment, the professional may need players from the base. Sometimes they call four athletes, and one of them stands out and ends up debuting before others who seemed closer.”

Difficulties for clubs in having control of 100% of the economic rights of athletes in the base

“It's a goal, but today it's very difficult to achieve. Not only at Corinthians but throughout Brazilian football. The first point is that you have to have a higher percentage than in other situations. You will talk about 70-30, but you have to see what the cases are. It's an athlete with potential, who came from club X to here. I think the 70-30 is within the expected, because you are already bringing an athlete who, from 12 to 16, was formed in another club. You are taking him almost from the middle to the front. So, these are cases. Now, of course, you have an athlete from Corinthians, with 100% of the rights, and soon you lose 30%. You have to know why this is happening or why it happened. Today, the family asks for a percentage, or you have a percentage of the future sale via an agent. This 100% sometimes becomes very difficult. The main point is to have from 75% to 80% onwards, depending on the athlete's situation. Now, when you bring an athlete from outside, from another club, you put yourself a little more in the adaptation.”

Cites the André Luiz case with Milan as an example

“‘Ah, the André case’. I wasn't here, I can't say because Corinthians had 100% and soon only has 70%. I don't know the reason why this negotiation occurred. But today, when there is a situation, we are, via the president, via the financial restructuring personnel of the club, discussing whether I can make this type of negotiation or not. So, today, it won't come out of Damiani's head, it won't come out of Bruno's head, who is my administrative coordinator. It will come from a conversation between me, the president, and the financial restructuring personnel, so that we can make this type of movement.”

Alignment with the board and Financial Restructuring Committee on decisions to be made

“In the clubs I've been through, we had a document discussed with the management about what we could and couldn't do. When we couldn't, I had to take it to the high command and discuss why that was happening. We are starting to make this same document here. Last week, we had the first meeting with those responsible for financial restructuring, we are starting to align a process that Corinthians will have to follow. And when it doesn't follow, it will be a decision that was taken to everyone and everyone was aware. It wasn't a decision that Damiani went there and made the president sign.”

“Every time the president signed one of our documents, even before the financial restructuring personnel became part of it, I always discussed with the president why that was being done. The president doesn't sign anything without me talking to him and saying why such a thing was done. It is something built not by one person, but by the group, by the club. The decision has to be the club's, and the club has to be aware of why that is happening. For me, as a manager, it's the best thing in the world to have people with whom I will share what is being done here. Because later they won't come forward and say it was Damiani who did it, or that Damiani didn't know. No, this was built together.”

Conversations with the Corinthians presidency pointing out some necessary structural changes in the department and mapping the market for trusted professionals for the youth categories

“The first conversation I had upon my arrival was that we need to be adequate to what the club needs at this moment. In 14 days, I already presented to the president what I thought we could save in some sectors. Even the market knowledge itself, the price the market is operating today compared to what it was operating. Sometimes, two, three people doing very similar functions. It was the first moment, this financial readjustment and also the number of employees within the club.”

“Then, I went to the market to identify professionals who could contribute to the development of what Corinthians is planning. Until recently, they said I brought friends, people who had already worked with me. In fact, of all who came, only two people had worked with me: Guilherme Nascimento, Under-17 coach, who worked with me in the Under-15 of Atlético-MG and then went to Athletico Paranaense; and, more recently, Dr. Ricardo Drubscky, who was my boss in 2010 at Athletico. Sixteen years later, we are working together again. The other professionals are all from the market.”

Restructuring: arrivals and departures of athletes in Corinthians' base

“As for the athletes, the situation is the same. We had many players; we are gradually releasing and bringing them. Now, it's not about quantity. It's no use bringing 30 athletes, swelling the department and category again; then the coach can't work properly, can't apply the training adequately, and the athletes also can't develop or perform in the work being done.”

“Therefore, it was a careful decision, also based on the financial issue and the reality the club has been facing. We understand that the more streamlined the department is, the more space the coach will have to work. When I say 'more space', I mean more time to observe the players and dedicate individualized attention.”

Cost reduction

“I won't give the numbers, but we had a very large reduction compared to what was worked until last year. The perspective is to maintain this rhythm, always working within what we can. I can't fire an employee who earns X and bring another who earns X plus Y. Either I bring someone earning X, or earning a little less, but the main thing is the professional's qualification.”

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