Scorer of Corinthians’ title-winning goal in the Brazilian Cup final against Vasco, at Maracanã, Dutch striker Memphis Depay played an important role and took the lead in the final stretch of the victorious campaign, finding the net in decisive knockout games against Palmeiras and Cruzeiro.
For the second cup with the club this season, after the Campeonato Paulista title in March, Memphis guaranteed another millionaire prize established in its contract, but also took advantage of winning the Brazilian Cup four times to fire at members of the black and white board and ask for changes for the next season.
According to the striker, his stay on the team will depend on tough conversations to be held with the black and white command and any course corrections to be taken to keep the team in the fight for titles.
Hired by Corinthians in September last year, the greatest scorer in the history of the Dutch national team didn’t take long to fall in favor with the Corinthians fans. In 11 games in the final stretch of the 2024 Brazilian Championship, Memphis scored seven times and provided one assist, contributing to the sequence of nine consecutive victories that guaranteed a place in the pre-Libertadores.
At the 2025 Paulista, he did not start at the same pace as he had finished the previous season and attracted some criticism, but he still scored twice and provided five assists, including Yuri Alberto’s goal in the first game of the final against Palmeiras.
In the Brazilian Championship, there were six more balls in the net and another three assists, but it was in the knockout stage of the Copa do Brasil where the Dutchman scored his most decisive goals for Corinthians of the season.
In the round of 16, in a new duel against arch-rivals Palmeiras, Memphis scored the only goal in the first game, in Itaquera, sending a header into Weverton’s corner, after a cross from the right by Matheuzinho.
In the semi-finals, in the first game against Cruzeiro, at Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte, he, again with a header, scored the only goal of the match to put Corinthians ahead in the match.
By scoring Corinthians’ second goal in the decisive game of the final against Vasco, with assistance from Yuri Alberto, Memphis guaranteed an additional prize of R$4.7 million, provided for in the contract in the event of a title — the same amount had been guaranteed for the state title.
The player had already guaranteed a bonus of R$6.3 million for having participated in more than 70% of Corinthians’ matches in his first year of contract — just for the victorious campaign in the Copa do Brasil, the São Paulo club earned around R$98 million, a large part of which (R$77.1 million) for the victory in the final.
With a contract with Corinthians until July 2026, Memphis stated in an interview with journalists on the Maracanã lawn shortly after the title that his stay in the team will still depend on the next conversations he will have with the club’s management.
“I would like to win more titles with this team and get them out of this difficult position, but for that to happen, some things need to happen. We’ll see,” said the Dutchman.
“They said a lot of things about me in the media, a lot of lies. They lied about me, about my salary, because they want the fans to hate me so I can leave. But we won two titles in one year. So, what will they say?”, added Memphis. “The fans love me, and I love them. I fight for them.”
The striker also asked people who, according to him, are harming the team on a daily basis, to leave the club.
“The board needs to wake up. I know exactly who I’m talking about, and they know exactly who they are. Leave the club, go do shit somewhere else, because this club needs to grow, this club needs to fight for Libertadores, Brasileirão every year, because the fans deserve it”, he stated.
“Whoever wants to fuck Corinthians can leave, leave the club. The club needs structure, I came for that, but I need help”, added the Dutchman, who celebrated his tenth career title.
Before arriving at Parque São Jorge, the striker had been a champion with Manchester United (FA Cup, English League Cup and Europa League); Barcelona (Spanish Super Cup and Spanish Championship); and PSV (Dutch Cup, Dutch Super Cup and Dutch Championship).
