Corinthians youth product bids farewell to Criciúma after loan ends | OneFootball

On the morning of this Saturday (1), right-back Léo Maná, 22, posted a farewell message on his social media directed to Criciúma, from Santa Catarina, the club where he was on loan until the last day of July 31. The youngster now returns to Corinthians, with whom he has a contract until December 2029.

However, as first reported by Meu Timão, the player is not in Fernando Diniz’s coaching staff’s plans and, until his future is decided, he will train separately from the rest of the Corinthians squad. Corinthians and Criciúma did negotiate an extension of the player’s loan, but ultimately failed to reach an agreement.

Photo: João Vitor Pereira/Criciúma

“Today I say goodbye to Criciúma with a grateful heart. I want to thank you for the opportunity to wear this shirt and everyone who was part of this journey—teammates, coaching staff, employees, and fans. I had important experiences, learned a lot, and met people I will carry with me for life. Thank you for the welcome, the trust, and everything we shared during this period. I wish the club and all my teammates great success!” the player said on his Instagram account.

He had been on loan at Criciúma since August 2025. During that period, however, the full-back received few opportunities, taking the field only eight times for the Santa Catarina club. Last season, for example, Léo Mana totaled 170 minutes on the pitch, all in Brazil’s Série B. In 2026, his use was even more limited, with only 32 minutes spread across just two matches.

His last appearance came on April 19, in Criciúma’s 3-2 defeat to Fortaleza at Castelão, in the second round of Série B. The full-back came on in the 37th minute of the second half. After that match, he was no longer used by coach Eduardo Baptista, who leads the team currently atop the second division with 40 points.

In the matches for which he was called up since then, he ended up not taking the field against CRB, Cuiabá, and Atlético-GO. In the team’s last 13 matches, he was not included in the squad for any of them. Before the April 19 match, his other appearance in the 2026 season had come on April 6. On that occasion, he came on during the 1-0 defeat to Goiás at Serrinha Stadium, playing 24 minutes.

In addition, in March of this year, he was part of the squad that won the Taça Acesc, decided on penalties against Camboriú by 8-7. The competition brought together clubs eliminated in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Campeonato Catarinense and secured the winner a place in the 2027 Copa do Brasil.

Career at Corinthians

Developed in Corinthians’ youth academy, Léo Mana played 112 matches between the Under-17 and Under-20 teams, scoring eight goals and recording 62 wins, 24 draws, and 26 losses. Playing for the Filhos do Terrão, he captained the team to the 2024 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior title against Cruzeiro and was part of the squad that won the 2021 Paulista Under-17 Championship against Palmeiras at Allianz Parque.

His debut for the senior team came in 2022, in a 1-0 defeat to América-MG in the Brazilian Championship. Since then, the full-back has made 30 appearances for Corinthians’ first team, 18 as a starter — 14 wins, 10 draws, and six losses. During that span, he scored no goals and provided one assist. He was part of the squad that won the 2025 state championship against Palmeiras in the final in Itaquera.

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