Labyad on Memphis chat, sets date for Corinthians debut | OneFootball

Zakaria Labyad was presented this Tuesday as a new signing for Corinthians. The Moroccan midfielder gave a press conference at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava and revealed a conversation with Dutchman Memphis Depay, with whom he played at PSV in the Netherlands.

“Before coming to Corinthians, I spoke with Memphis. He told me about the club, it’s a great club. It’s a project for many years, Corinthians is growing. I want to be part of that. I started my career with Memphis at PSV. I hope we can be successful together again,” said the player.

The athlete revealed a long-standing connection with Brazil. He has already shared a locker room with Cássio, a Corinthians idol, during their time at PSV.

“I played with great Brazilian players. I played with Cássio, David Neres, among others. I’ve always had a connection with them, they were always my friends. I felt very welcomed in Brazil. Cássio helped me a lot at the start of my career, at PSV. I played three years with him. He always helped me in training, he was a great friend. I had a good relationship with him,” he recounted.

(Photo: André Costa/Gazeta Press)

Debut Timeline

Zakaria Labyad has not yet made his debut for Corinthians. According to the Moroccan, who is currently undergoing physical reconditioning, he should be available to coach Dorival Júnior starting next week.

“I trained physically for two weeks. Hard training. I know how my body feels, I think I’ll be ready for next week,” he revealed.

Additionally, the player spoke about his characteristics and explained how he can help Timão on the field. He also commented on his first interactions with Dorival.

“I’m an attacking midfielder, but I can play in different positions. I’ll try to help the team with goals, assists, victories,” he declared.

“The first conversation with Dorival was good. He gave me a hug, I had a good talk with him about the club, about myself. My relationship with him is good, as it is with everyone who works at the club. I’ve been here for two weeks and I feel good,” he concluded.

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Controversial Signing

The arrival of Zakaria Labyad caused controversy at Corinthians. In a press conference, coach Dorival Júnior said he did not request the signing of the player. The Moroccan’s name was suggested by Memphis Depay to Renan Bloise, head of the scouting department.

The 32-year-old midfielder joins Corinthians with a contract until the end of this year. The deal includes an automatic renewal clause for another season if the player meets pre-established goals.

The Moroccan was without a club after leaving Dalian Yingbo in China. He scored six goals and provided four assists in 25 matches for the Asian team. Previously, he played for Yunnan Yukun, also in China, FC Utrecht, Ajax, PSV, and Vitesse in the Netherlands, Fulham in England, and Sporting in Portugal.

In addition to Labyad, Timão signed five other reinforcements for 2026: Gabriel Paulista, Matheus Pereira, Pedro Milans, Kaio César, and Allan. The club also renewed with Fabrizio Angileri.

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