Ex-defender recalls Corinthians approach before choosing to retire

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Central do Timão

·18 November 2025

Ex-defender recalls Corinthians approach before choosing to retire

By Vinícios Cotrim | Central do Timão Editorial Team

Defender Felipe decided to retire after spending nearly a decade in European football. Because of his time at Parque São Jorge, he was always seen as a good opportunity for Corinthians, being constantly contacted for inquiries regarding a possible signing.

Before retiring, he was approached for negotiations. “Corinthians was the first. The guys would message me. Actually, the first was Alessandro, right when he saw that my contract with Atlético de Madrid was coming to an end, he said, ‘Felipe, you know I’m here, right? Hey, remember us and all that.’ He already left things a bit lined up,” revealed the former player to Meu Timão.

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Photo: Daniel Augusto Jr. / Ag. Corinthians

“And I told him, hey, look, don’t worry. If I come back to Brazil, for sure. That will be the first thing, I’ll talk to you guys. So there was already an open door. I had it with him there. But then I started getting a lot of calls. Man, I don’t know, Atlético Mineiro, Flamengo, anyway. There were several… the rivals. But it’s just that, nothing, like, nothing fulfilled what I wanted anymore, you know? My decision, for example. Which was already for family reasons,” he commented.

Even with several offers, the player decided to end his career without returning to Brazil, where he rose to prominence as a Brazilian champion with Corinthians. After Timão, he also played for traditional clubs such as Porto in Portugal, Atlético de Madrid in Spain, and Nottingham Forest in England.

“God gave me a wonderful life. Today I have very good conditions. I can keep this going. Man, my life, in terms of career, was very good. So I am very grateful for that. At one point, family weighed a lot. And that’s when I made this decision. And then I started getting those calls, as I said. But nothing really caught my eye in a way that made me think, ‘oh, I’ll set this aside’,” he concluded.

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