How Sobis fled the Corinthians camp at 16 before becoming an Inter idol | OneFootball

At 16, Sobis slipped out of Corinthians’ team base during a contract impasse and returned to Rio Grande do Sul, according to Globo.com. It was the unlikely prelude to his rise as an Inter idol.

He had joined from Cruzeiro-RS in 2001 and impressed in the academy. Talks over his first professional deal broke down, with Sobis unhappy at terms that would have left his agent, Jorge Machado, without a share.

Machado arranged his exit, a driver waited and Sobis simply walked away. Back in Erechim, he waited months for a court decision, then gained clearance to negotiate elsewhere.

Machado phoned Inter president Fernando Carvalho in 2002, pitching a teenager who had scored about 17 goals in a short spell. Sobis signed, turned professional at Beira-Rio and soon made his mark, scoring in a 3-0 win over Corinthians in 2004 and equalising in a 1-1 draw at Pacaembu in 2005, a night overshadowed by the penalty not given on Tinga.

He then hit both goals in a 2-1 win at São Paulo in the first leg of the 2006 Libertadores final, and scored against Chivas in a 3-2 victory in 2010 as Inter sealed their second title, earning the nickname Senhor Libertadores. In 2014 Corinthians tried and failed to sign him from Fluminense. Inter host Corinthians on Sunday at 19:30 in the Copa do Brasil round of 16, with the return next Thursday at 20:00 at Neo Química Arena.

Source: Globo.com