Why Memphis Depay wore an 80 armband in Corinthians' Libertadores tie | OneFootball

Corinthians faced Platense of Argentina at Neo Química Arena on the night of last Wednesday (27), in the sixth and final round of the 2026 Conmebol Libertadores group stage, and was defeated 2-0. Despite the negative result, Timão finished this stage at the top of Group E with 11 points — three wins, two draws, and one loss — with eight goals scored and four conceded.

Forward Memphis Depay, who played for 50 minutes, took the field wearing an armband featuring the number 80 in blue. In an Instagram stories post on the morning of this Thursday (28), Corinthians’ number 10 said the appearance was part of an initiative with KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij), the leading airline in the Netherlands, which has operated in Brazil for eight decades.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Speaking to Corinthians’ official website, Vinicius Manfredi de Azevedo, the club’s marketing superintendent, said: “Corinthians is a club with enormous cultural relevance and global reach, and taking part in a campaign celebrating KLM’s 80 years in Brazil reinforces the international dimension of our brand. Memphis’s presence at the club has created a very strong connection between Brazil and the Netherlands, bringing cultures closer through football and generating genuine identification with our fans. Generating business opportunities for one of our great players also brings us enormous satisfaction, since we are always seeking opportunities not only for the club, but for our entire ecosystem,” he said.

Sylvain Mathias, Commercial Director of the Air France-KLM Group for South America, added: “Brazil has always played a central role in the Air France-KLM Group’s strategy in South America. Celebrating KLM’s 80 years in the country alongside an athlete who so well represents this connection between the Netherlands and Brazil makes this moment even more special.”

According to a report by Meu Timão, Corinthians was directly involved in structuring the commercial agreement between KLM and the Dutch player. Internally, the club from Parque São Jorge treated the matter as a one-off action involving exclusively the player’s image. As a result, the Corinthians board chose to pass on the full amount earned from the campaign to the number 10. The player’s contract with Alvinegro also includes the payment of a minimum annual amount tied to marketing activities and the use of his image rights.

Memphis Depay’s spell at Corinthians

Signed in September 2024, after not renewing with Atlético de Madrid, Memphis Depay quickly became one of Corinthians’ main players. He was key in the team’s surge in that year’s Brasileirão, in which the team climbed out of the relegation zone and finished the tournament in the qualification spots for the following year’s Libertadores preliminary stage — seventh place with 56 points.

During the team’s recovery in the competition, he scored seven goals. He later played a decisive role in the team’s titles in the Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026), against Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, and Flamengo, respectively. For Timão, he has scored 20 goals and provided 15 assists in 78 matches (61 as a starter). It is worth remembering that the player is under contract with Corinthians until July 20 and, so far, there is no decision regarding his future at Parque São Jorge.

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