Corinthians pull out of André’s Milan move, FIFA row may follow | OneFootball

The president of Corinthians, Osmar Stabile, decided not to sign the transfer contract of midfielder André to Milan. The negotiation involved the sale of 70% of the player's economic rights for 17 million euros (about R$ 103 million), but the director believes that the amount does not reflect the potential appreciation of the athlete, who was developed in the club's youth categories.

The decision, which may have legal consequences, occurred the day after the agreement was announced, which was considered almost finalized by both the player's staff and the club's representatives. Only the signature of the Corinthians president was missing to formalize the operation.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

According to information published by ge.globo, Stabile was informed of the financial details of the proposal and assessed that the values do not reflect the potential appreciation of the midfielder. Therefore, the president decided not to validate the transfer. He is expected to officially communicate his decision in a meeting scheduled for this Monday (2).

The negotiation took a new turn after Corinthians was eliminated from the Paulista Championship by Novorizontino. In a press conference after the match, coach Dorival Júnior publicly criticized the possibility of the sale and advocated for the player's retention.

According to journalist André Hernan, the coach even spoke with Corinthians directors in the locker room and cited the case of defender Lucas Beraldo as an example. In 2023, when he was still coaching São Paulo, Dorival had asked the club not to sell the defender for 12 million euros. After winning the Copa do Brasil, the defender was eventually negotiated with Paris Saint-Germain for about 20 million euros.

The possible departure of André also caused a negative reaction among fans. In light of this, football executive Marcelo Paz stated that the deal was not yet closed, as it depended on the president's final decision, although he emphasized that the club needs to make sales to balance the finances.

Player's staff claims deal is closed

The version presented by André's staff, however, differs from that adopted by the club. According to the athlete's representatives, the negotiation was practically concluded, as contractual drafts were exchanged and signed by almost all parties involved, with only the formalization by the Corinthians president remaining.

In the staff's interpretation, the signed document would constitute a binding offer, and if Corinthians officially withdraws from the transfer, Milan could appeal to FIFA alleging unilateral breach of contract, which would open the door for a legal dispute.

On the other hand, Corinthians does not fear any move by Milan at FIFA. The club has not yet officially commented on the matter, but the internal understanding is that there was no signature from the president on the agreement nor formal release of the athlete, which, in the board's view, would mean the negotiation was not concluded.

Expert sees legal risk

To understand the case, the Central do Timão consulted a Sports Law expert, who assesses that the club may face risks if there was formal acceptance of the negotiation terms. According to him, in FIFA's legal framework, the expression of agreement with values and conditions, even by email, can be sufficient to establish a commitment between the parties.

“If Milan has the emails with the 'agreement' and the final draft, Corinthians faces a real risk at FIFA. In the law applied by the entity, the expression of will usually carries more weight than the formal signature. The absence of the president's signature may be interpreted as merely an internal formality,” he explains.

In this context, the withdrawal could be interpreted as a unilateral breach of contract. Nevertheless, this would not necessarily mean the obligation to complete the transfer, but it would pave the way for Milan to seek compensation for losses and damages at FIFA's Football Tribunal.

Similar cases have occurred in football

The expert recalls that disputes of this kind have recently occurred in international football. One example involved Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira. In 2023, Al Sadd from Qatar took the coach to FIFA, claiming there was a binding document that provided for his move to the Asian club.

The Portuguese decided to stay at Palmeiras, and the Qatari team sought a compensation of 5 million euros from the entity. The dispute ended through an agreement involving the negotiation of forward Giovani, in which Palmeiras waived receiving additional amounts linked to the player's transfer goals to Al Sadd.

Another case that gained international attention occurred in 2018 and involved right-winger Malcom, revealed by Corinthians. At the time, the player belonged to Bordeaux and had already been announced as a reinforcement for Roma. The athlete was even preparing to travel to Italy for medical exams. However, Barcelona intervened in the final hours of the negotiation and officially signed the Brazilian the next day.

After the unexpected outcome, then Roma sporting director Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo stated that the Italian club withdrew from the operation after Bordeaux and the player's staff turned the negotiation into an auction. The club considered legal action but later decided not to pursue the case.

Details of the Italian proposal

The proposal presented by Milan for the 70% of André's economic rights belonging to Corinthians includes the payment of 15 million euros fixed (about R$ 91 million) plus 2 million euros in bonuses.

These goals would be conditioned on the midfielder's participation in at least 20 matches with 45 minutes on the field before the calendar break for the World Cup. Corinthians would also retain a 20% stake in a future sale of the player.

Recently, Timão renewed André's contract until December 2029. The release clause is set at R$ 112 million for the national market and 100 million euros for international transfers. Besides Milan, the midfielder has already attracted interest from other Italian clubs, such as Juventus and Inter Milan, who made inquiries at previous times.

Given the Corinthians president's withdrawal, the future of the negotiation remains uncertain. The club may still try to renegotiate the terms with Milan or, if the withdrawal is confirmed, face a possible legal dispute at FIFA.

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