Marcelo Paz: Corinthians freedom, Memphis renewal, outcast players

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Central do Timão

·11 Januari 2026

Marcelo Paz: Corinthians freedom, Memphis renewal, outcast players

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

On the morning of last Friday (9th), Corinthians presented its new football executive at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava: Marcelo Paz, who arrives at Parque São Jorge to replace Fabinho Soldado, hired by the club in January 2024 at the start of the ousted president Augusto Melo’s administration, and who left the Alvinegro after winning the 2025 Copa do Brasil against Vasco.

During the interview, the new member of Corinthians’ football department was asked about his arrival at Parque São Jorge, an assessment of his work at Fortaleza, the contract renewals of Fabrizio Angileri and Memphis Depay—players who are no longer in the club’s plans—the possibility of implementing a SAF (Sociedade Anônima do Futebol), and relationship issues within the Liga Forte União (LFU), the bloc of which he is currently president.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

See below for the answers from Corinthians’ new football executive:

On his arrival at Corinthians, thanks to the president, and gratitude to Fortaleza

“It’s a joy to be here, very honored, very happy. First, I want to thank God for the opportunity to be here. I am absolutely sure He designed this path. He put this opportunity in my life. I am very happy and very grateful to have the desire to be in São Paulo, to be at Corinthians. A giant club, an extraordinary fanbase. And for me, it’s an honor, a pride, and these days have been a joy. People say, ‘oh, at Corinthians you’ll have a lot of work, you’ll have to be very brave.’ I’m enjoying it, you know? I’m enjoying the routine, the day-to-day, the problems, the things that need to be faced. I’m tackling it with a lot of energy, a lot of joy. I know the journey is long, I know that when the ball starts rolling things also change. But I’m very happy to be here and I want to thank God. I want to thank President Osmar for the trust, for the call, for the respect he’s giving me, really supporting the actions being taken. What he told me on the phone, he’s following to the letter, giving space, giving support, and we’re getting to know each other more day by day, exchanging demands.”

“I have to give a very special thanks to President Osmar and his entire board for the trust to be here and to whom I will serve. To serve the president, to serve Corinthians, to serve the Corinthians fans. I want to thank my family because they understood this change. It’s the first time I’ve left Fortaleza, I’ve always lived in the city of Fortaleza, born and raised. And they understood, father, mother, wife, children, they supported this challenge and are happy too. I want to thank, lastly and not least, Fortaleza. Because it was 11 years of work, 11 years of dedication. A brilliant moment in the club’s history, what happened there in recent years, unprecedented things, sporting, structural, image-wise. And if I’m here, I owe a lot to Fortaleza for bringing me this opportunity, I can’t fail to mention what those 11 years of coexistence meant.”

Transfer policy in this transfer window

“Corinthians will seek new players, but what’s the profile? Will it pay transfer fees available in the market, anyway, to know the profile of athletes you can sign this season. Thank you. Thank you, Eli. Important question. The team has market needs. We have a good team, but we need a more robust squad. We started this with Dorival from day one. Along with Renan, we’ve been working on the market issue to strengthen, so we have at least two players per position who can play any game. But we’ll have to do it with a lot of creativity. We know that today we’re in a financial restructuring. President Osmar also called me for this, to help with this financial restructuring. And football is the flagship of any club in terms of cost. So, we have to be careful with football. We can’t, we won’t do financial madness. And it was these financial crazinesses that brought (the financial crisis). And what do I see? The brand is very strong.”

“What I see is the offer of big-name athletes who want to come here, who make an effort to come here. And then you have the case of Gabriel Paulista, who has already undergone a medical today, and very soon, following all the club’s procedures, passing the medical exams, he will be announced, he should be at the arena on Sunday. So there’s another reason for us to be there on Sunday. An athlete who made every effort to come here, who gave up a lot of money to come here, who came as a free agent, and there are many others who want to make this same move because the brand is very strong, it’s a Libertadores brand, it’s a World Cup brand, and players want to be at Corinthians to also gain exposure for their national teams, not just the Brazilian one.”

“So, with creativity, with quality, without doing financial madness, within the budget given and within what the club’s financial restructuring allows. I’ve already had many meetings with Dorival, with Renan, with the Football department, but I’ve also had some meetings with people from the financial department, so we’re aligned, step by step, each signing, each move, to be able to honor our commitments. And Dorival’s understanding as well. An experienced professional, a joy to work with him. And he understands that this is the way and is also helping us in this role.”

Lessons from your last season at Fortaleza – club’s relegation to Serie B – to avoid repeating at Corinthians

“Yes, life is about hits and misses, right? And, logically, the fact of relegation there, publicly, there were mistakes that make us learn and grow and not want to repeat them. Mine is not individual, especially in football, it’s collective, decisions are collective, but whoever is in charge takes responsibility. I’ve said a few times that I think we should have made a change in the player profile earlier. The winning group isn’t always the one that should continue, sometimes it’s time to make a change and we didn’t make that change.”

“The recruitment profile also didn’t fit in the first window, like the left-back, the politics too, external influence, which is everything I don’t want here. I came to do a professional job. In this situation, we’re going to do a professional job inside the CT, with football, to bring joy to everyone. To bring joy to those who are Corinthians fans, regardless of the situation we may be in. I don’t want to be there, I want to be at Corinthians. And at Fortaleza, that was true too. But it’s a big club, which will come back, should come back this year, it has a lot of competence, we left a legacy in name, there’s a lot of physical structure, assets, and more learnings, everyone has them.”

Fear of interference from Corinthians’ political side in the football department and, consequently, in your work?

“I didn’t put it in the contract, I don’t think it needs to be in the contract, it’s a gentleman’s agreement with the president. The president made it very clear: here I would deal directly with him. That he would shield me from this political issue. And I came here to do a professional job. And the professional job cannot suffer political interference. Politics sometimes has different interests. Sometimes the agendas are different. And I’m not here criticizing anyone, judging anyone, I don’t even know them. But I understand that football has to be done within the club. Within the football department, with the necessary isolation, with the necessary path. And at the Arena we meet, try to win games, try to do the best for the fan. Political issues have to stay out of this. So I feel I have the president’s support for this and I feel I have the support of the fans, the Fiel torcida, for this. I think with these two supports we’re very strong. I respect, every club has this issue. But I think a club like Corinthians, as giant as it is, as huge as it is, going through a restructuring, winning titles again, regaining credibility.”

“We have to come together, not get in the way. It’s not good for someone to do something on purpose to hinder the club, it’s not about hindering the current candidate, the candidate who hindered the club. That’s not good. And I’m sure Corinthians fans don’t want that either. And the fans don’t want that. So, I think we have every possibility to do a professional job, without interference. We have the president’s support and it’s on a handshake, no need to put it in writing. We understand he’ll do all this shielding, this protection. And we here will also do our job very professionally. I heard this from important people in the technical staff, from players. So, let’s continue on this path, let the CT be protected, let the CT be a place of work, a place where on the day you lose a game you can come into the CT and everyone is fine. The pressure has to be from the gate out, on social media. Here inside we have to work, we have to produce. So, I understand this will happen naturally. If, along the way, situations like this arise, we’ll try to resolve them with dialogue, conversation. I’m very much about dialogue, about building, but the professional work really has to be focused on football.”

Situation of Pedro Raul, contract until the end of 2028, returning from loan at Ceará

“Pedro Raul is part of the squad, from day one he’s been training, he’ll certainly be on the list for Sunday, he’ll certainly get a chance. So he has the opportunity to play, to score goals, and to consolidate his stay at the club. I’m really rooting for that, he’s a quality center-forward. Last year he made me angry, right? And now he’s on my side. So let’s hope he does a great job and he’s been embraced by everyone here.”

Renato, Alex Santana, and Héctor Hernández – training separately from the squad and out of Corinthians’ plans

“Alex Santana and Héctor are really not in the squad, they’re available for some kind of negotiation. They’re great players in the market, they have minutes, a good image in the market, still a good age, so naturally something will come up for them.”

More on the possibility of the political side interfering in the daily life at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava

“Well, first I think that after President Osmar’s arrival, as his name suggests, he brought more stability. The club won an important title, financial issues are being resolved, the coach is staying, most of the squad is staying, so those are positive facts. What we talked about with the players, and it’s a group with a lot of personality, I could already tell, which is good, they question things, they talk, they open up, in a short time we’ve already had some conversations, especially with the captains. They want to keep the CT shielded for football, so there’s no interference here day to day. So that’s very clear to everyone. Very clear.”

“And that’s not an unfriendly attitude, it’s a professional attitude. Professional from someone who wants to win games, professional from someone who wants peace of mind to work, professional from someone like Dorival who wants to give a stronger call, because football is like that, football is about demands. So they have that perception, they know what Corinthians is. The players know what Corinthians is. And for Corinthians to work better, in their minds, and I think they’re right, these interferences shouldn’t happen. So I ask everyone’s understanding, especially the Fiel torcida, to support us in this. I’ll always say this. The fans supporting, the fans playing along, in this aspect too, that’s fundamental. Yes, I’ve had conversations with players, it’s a concern, but it can be done. It’s something that can be done, especially when you have the support of the presidency and the fans.”

Memphis Depay contract renewal

“Memphis is a great athlete, right? A football star. A player who has a gift for playing football and was very important for Corinthians in this first year, in 2025, with his participation in the titles, with goals, with decisive plays. We haven’t started renewal talks yet, because we’re currently focusing on building the squad. It’s a big job to build the squad, to find creative opportunities, also possible departures and renewals. It’s a big job, so we’re leaving that point a little further ahead, according to the plan. And, with financial planning, we have the expenses of all the players, the entire squad, the whole technical staff. And the decision on a possible continuation will also depend on that.”

“It will also depend on the club’s reality and its size, which is a great player, a player who will be at the World Cup, in the all-time Dutch national team. And, of course, he’s a player who carries a lot of weight for what he’s really worth, for what he produces, and for what he brings in terms of image that adds to the club. At the right time, we’ll talk and see which paths to take. What I hope is that he’s on the field as much as possible, helping as much as possible, as many minutes as possible so he can bring even more joy to the Corinthians fans.”

Maycon’s departure to Atlético-MG after failing to reach an agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine

“Maycon, a player with a history at the club, who was captain of the last title, developed in Corinthians’ youth academy, and it wasn’t possible for him to stay because he exceeded the financial limits of a negotiation. That’s the point. Not everything was settled before I arrived. If everything was settled, it would have been done, it would have been renewed. I was announced on December 27. I started dealing with Maycon’s situation on the 28th or 29th, I don’t remember. The contract was already ending. And the situation didn’t progress. Unfortunately, it didn’t progress because we have a financial responsibility and we stick to that. What maybe wasn’t ideal is that we were negotiating a renewal and there were offers for other clubs.”

“It wasn’t offers from other clubs, it was offers to other clubs. So that creates a situation that isn’t ideal. But he’s a great athlete, he came here, embraced us. I wish him success at Atlético Mineiro, he leaves a very interesting legacy, I tried to keep him, I spoke to him personally, I called, did everything possible, but we have a limit, we have to respect the limit, Corinthians is above all, and I’m sure he leaves with the doors open, a very interesting legacy and made a choice we have to respect. And hope he’s happy at Atlético Mineiro. Except against us.”

Maintaining most of the squad and sales to meet Corinthians’ established budget

“It’s about keeping most of the squad. Now, for financial balance, you also have to sell. That’s something any football club in Brazil has to do to balance the budget. And Corinthians, which is going through a restructuring, will have to sell. What we have to do is make the best possible sale and already have a replacement, so there’s no technical loss. These bigger offers go to the president, he discusses them with me, we share the decision. It’s a club decision. Of course, to have sporting results, to win, we’ll keep as much of the squad as possible, we’ll strengthen this squad. And, naturally, sales will happen. That’s in the budget. If you don’t sell players, you don’t meet the budget. There’s no way. That’s impossible. It’s in the budget. It’s about making the best possible sale. They’re great assets, and as you said, Corinthians is growing, it’s an extremely strong brand worldwide. Young, talented players we have here, that the whole world wants. So it’s about making the best possible sale. I believe this year should see the biggest sale in the club’s history. Let’s wait throughout the year.”

Possibility of SAF at Corinthians

“SAF is a law created to allow football clubs to leave the associative model and become a business model that can receive investment. And the investment gives legal security to those who invest, whether national or foreign capital. So the law is very good, so much so that many teams have joined. We talk about the most famous, but there are more than 100 SAFs in Brazil. More than 100 in smaller cities, Santa Catarina has many, Espírito Santo has many, Paraná has many, so all over Brazil there are SAFs. So the model is interesting. And it gives an alternative. The club can be associative, and the club can be a company. I won’t say one is better than the other. Because there are several ways to succeed doing the same thing. There are several ways to do a press conference. There are several ways to ask questions. There are several ways to do a podcast. There are several ways to manage a football team. You can win with a more proactive team, a more reactive team. So there are several ways to manage football. We have cases of associative clubs that are successful. In Spain, for example, Flamengo is a great example of associative success. And we have cases of clubs, companies around the world that went bankrupt, failed, and had to be sold. So it can be good as a SAF, it can be good as an association. What matters is the mindset of the people and the leadership of those in charge, which is perhaps an advantage of SAF.”

“SAF can plan more long-term. The SAF owner, let’s say, for example, Cruzeiro, which is now a SAF, with Pedrinho as the owner, he can look five years ahead, ten years ahead, because he’s the owner and will be there. And sometimes in the associative club, the focus is shorter, decisions are shorter, impacted by upcoming elections, impacted by the mandate. And often decisions are affected by that. So that’s also an advantage. The disadvantage is, what if you have a bad owner? It’ll be much worse. Because the person, suddenly, doesn’t have the support for the club that traditional managers have. They’ll leave at any situation, they’ll sell, because it’s theirs, they can sell to whoever they want. They’ll sell to someone who, suddenly, doesn’t love the club. So, all this has to be very well tied up. I’m speaking conceptually, not about Corinthians, because this area isn’t even mine or the club’s. I’m speaking conceptually. All this has to be very well tied up in the investment agreement. When you’re going to make the sale or investment, you have to make very clear everything that protects what will become a SAF.”

Needs at right-back

“Right-back is a need, because we only have Matheuzinho, who’s a great player, in spectacular form. But we need someone to rotate with him, to be alongside him. So, it’s a need, Arias is a name that’s been mentioned, but there’s no negotiation underway. He’s a free agent, his contract ended at Bahia, we know the player, everyone in the football department knows him, but there’s no negotiation underway at the moment. We do need wingers, we need players for the flanks.”

Invitation declined from Corinthians in 2024 and reasons for accepting the offer in 2026

“In 2024, the invitation came in the middle of the season. And I wouldn’t allow myself to leave. At Fortaleza, in the middle of the season, I wouldn’t think it was right. It was a year, by the way, when we finished fourth in Brazil. Direct spot in the Libertadores. This year the invitation came at the end of the season. When I accepted the invitation, Fortaleza hadn’t even had a training session yet. The Ceará Championship only starts on the weekend, Serie B, which is the most important championship, only starts in March. So, I understood there was enough time for a change, a transition, without causing major harm to the institution. I understood that was the moment and I already had the desire, yes, for a professional change. I had already expressed this to some people. It was a very long cycle, 11 years.”

“A long cycle brings a lot of good things, but also natural wear and tear. Changing environments is good, and that’s what I did. But it was at a time I thought was right, because it was a transition, so there was still plenty of time for new people to arrive, to implement a new methodology, to do the hiring process, to plan for the year. So I understood it was the ideal time. And I also have to say that President Osmar also weighed heavily. He weighed heavily. Because I was already coming from a club on the rise, restructuring, financial balance. That was also an important factor for me.”

Fabrizio Angileri renewal, potential to sell a player, and excitement to meet the Corinthians fans

“With Angileri, at the moment, negotiations are on hold. There’s no negotiation underway. And, always respecting Corinthians’ financial limits, we’ll always respect that. We have a budget to meet, we have two full-backs in the squad. He’s a great player, we like him, we know what he did here, but we have our limit. I respect that, it’s normal in the market, but the situation is on hold at the moment. You mentioned Bidon, Yuri Alberto, Gui Negão, I think André also has great potential (for sale), great potential. Dieguinho, if he gets minutes, which he naturally might, also has great potential. That’s why there are excellent assets, great assets, and we have to first get the sporting return and then the financial return. That’s the cycle, that’s the way. Sporting return, then financial return. So, naturally, it should be in the budget. You have to work intelligently, valuing the brand, making a good sale, and working on replacements so there’s no sporting loss. The most important thing is to win games, to make the Fiel torcida happy.”

“I can’t wait for Sunday, including, for the first time, being in Itaquera with that crowd on our side. As I said before, I want to sing the poropopó with the crowd. I was in Fortaleza after the announcement here, singing poropopó with them. They loved it, right? Loved it. It’s really about living all this, living with joy, with enthusiasm, and coming here to win. Another Northeasterner who comes to win like Rivaldo, who came here to win like others. I came here for that, I left my family there, left everything I have, the wonderful city I love, which is Fortaleza, but I’m here happy in body and soul to make history, that’s what I want, what I wish, what I aim for. I know it’s not easy, I know the ways of football, I know there are ups and downs, Ferris wheels, but we have the resilience to face it. It’s from this spectacular fanbase that is Corinthians’. I think we have a great chance to do a great job.”

Youth categories, issue with MCF, and dialogue with Erasmo Darmiani (club’s youth executive)

“I think Corinthians can’t be left out (as a training club). I know the training movement. I know a lot of people connected to youth football in Brazil. I think our presence here also helps in this dialogue with those already in the football department, Renan is also an expert, knows all this very well. Very well received by Damiani, he sent me a message, we’ve already exchanged a few words. And we’ll keep an eye on the youth. The youth has its own management, Damiani, who is the executive there. But this dialogue between the youth and the professional is fundamental. Today we have several players in the squad who recently came from the youth. We have a team competing in the Copinha, there are international competitions.”

“Corinthians plays in the Brazilian Championship and the structure makes it easier, because it’s very close, right? Just cross over here and watch, we’re closer. So, we’ll keep an eye, be close, understand, help. Corinthians has always produced players and must continue to do so, because the biggest asset in football is minutes on the field. The youngster who gets minutes on the field is worth a lot. That’s the case anywhere in the world and Corinthians, you should have access to this statistic, in 2025 was the club that used the youth the most in Serie A. More news on this statistic from Sofascore, Corinthians, leader in youth minutes. So, it’s essential that we stay connected, investing, recruiting players, developing players, so this is a positive, virtuous cycle.”

Dialogue and credibility with the CBF – how can this help Corinthians?

“First I’d like to say that President Samir is doing a good job. In a short time he’s made courageous changes that needed to be made in Brazilian football. Calendar, financial fair play, professionalization of refereeing. Right now he’s on an international trip with Serie A and B executives to learn market practices in the major leagues. And I want to publicly acknowledge and congratulate this work. And I understand that a change is already underway in this, President Osmar. He already has very good contact with the entire CBF leadership, with the people who decide the paths of Brazilian football. And Corinthians has to be a protagonist. The size and greatness of Corinthians must be heard in everything, must have an active voice, must participate. And this strength must also be reflected in the highest entity of Brazilian football, which is the CBF.”

“And President Osmar, as smart and skillful as he is, is already doing that. And that’s a presidential, institutional prerogative. He’s the one who has to lead this. If he wants me by his side, I’ll be there. That’s the president. President, I’m here for football. But if you want me by your side to seek a sponsor, talk to me, I’ll be by your side to help you. If he wants me by his side in institutional situations, I’ll do that too. But it’s his prerogative and I see he’s doing it very well.”

Influence and conflict of interest in Liga Forte União? – Where you are president of the bloc

“This is also an administrative matter, but I won’t shy away from commenting on it. I had no influence. Zero influence in this financial matter. And we don’t even have access to it here at Corinthians. Here at Corinthians my issue is that today it’s LFU, it’s no longer LFU. There’s very well-established governance. It goes through club approval for any action. So it will never be a prerogative of the president or whoever is there. It’s a condominium. A condominium that has its statute. So, zero influence, I can guarantee that, I can guarantee. And these financial matters, they’re more with the investor. LFU has no money, LFU has no cash. Who has cash is the investor.”

“And it’s the investor who decides these possibilities. And about this conflict of interest issue, I was president of LFU, for a long time being president of Fortaleza and CEO of Fortaleza. So it’s the same, there’s no conflict of interest. I was chosen by my peers. There’s even going to be an election now at LFU in January. It could be another name, I don’t even know how that will be. It’s so stable there, things run so smoothly that there’s no political dispute there. I guarantee I have zero participation in the institutional and statutory issue. And if I remain in this role, there will be no interference for professional reasons and I’ve already proven that it’s possible because at Fortaleza it was never said. And when I was there, there was never any benefit for Fortaleza.”

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