Corinthians deny talks over players, confirm holiday amid World Cup break | OneFootball

Amid rumors about possible transfers involving the Corinthians squad, executive director Marcelo Paz decided to speak out publicly. The official stated that the club has not received, so far, any official offers for players from the professional squad and assured that any future situation will be analyzed internally, always taking the team’s sporting side into consideration.

“At this time of year, speculation comes up, and we’re here, officially, to say that there is no offer on the table for any Corinthians player at this moment. The athletes are focused on this final stretch, on important Série A and Copa Libertadores matches”, the black-and-white club official told Corinthians TV.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

Marcelo Paz also stressed that movement and rumors are common at big clubs, especially in periods close to the opening of the transfer window. Even so, he highlighted that no negotiations are underway at the moment.

“It is natural for speculation, names, and possibilities to come up, but it’s important for us to speak here with our fans, looking them in the eye. So, there is no official offer on Corinthians’ table. If one does come, which is natural at a big club that attracts attention, we will discuss it internally, together with the presidency, to choose the best path for Corinthians’ athletes, but always thinking about sporting competitiveness, which is our main focus”, he added.

The statement came shortly after Yuri Alberto said in a recent interview that he would like to consider a possible move in the next transfer window if an interesting offer arises for all parties involved.

Besides the striker, another name frequently linked with the market is goalkeeper Hugo Souza. According to information published by ge.globo, the keeper could also attract interest from other teams during the mid-year transfer period.

Before the calendar is paused for the World Cup, Corinthians will still have five matches left between the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores. Depending on what happens in the next transfer window, those fixtures could represent the final appearances of Yuri Alberto and Hugo Souza in the black-and-white shirt.

Marcelo Paz also commented on the club’s planning for the break in the calendar. According to the official, the professional squad will receive a period of rest between the end of May and the second half of June.

“May 30 is our last game before the World Cup. We will play in Porto Alegre against Grêmio and, right after that, the professional team and staff go on vacation, which will last from May 31 to June 24. On June 25, the players return so we can hold our midseason training period right here at CT Joaquim Grava”, the official explained.

The executive also recalled that Corinthians ended last season later because of the Copa do Brasil final, a competition won by the club, and stressed that this directly impacted the preparation time for the start of the current calendar.

“It’s worth remembering that Corinthians was one of the teams in Brazil that finished the previous season later, due to the Copa do Brasil finals, a title that, thank God, ended up in our hands. But we had little preparation time between that date and the start of the Campeonato Paulista. So, we’re going to give them a vacation period now and, soon after, we’ll return with the entire coaching staff, support staff, and players for the midseason training period here at our CT, with an eye on the competitions and the second-half schedule”, he continued.

After returning from vacation, the squad will resume work at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava and may play a friendly during preparations for the rest of the season. FC Cascavel recently announced its intention to face Corinthians in a friendly scheduled for July 12 at Estádio Olímpico Regional, in Paraná.

“And, in the planning for this midseason training period, which will last from June 25 until the date of our first game after the end of the World Cup, we will hold training sessions here, sometimes in two shifts, and we have a friendly scheduled, which today is set for July 12. There are advanced talks to hold the friendly in the city of Cascavel. The coaching staff is already aware, and everything is in the final stages so that a formal announcement can be made”, he concluded.

Corinthians return to the field this Sunday at 4 p.m., when they face Botafogo at Nilton Santos Stadium for the 16th round of the Brazilian Championship.

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