The São Paulo club uses part of the Copa do Brasil prize pool to pay off debts and plans to cut costs in 2026
Paraguayan midfielder Matías Rojas accepted the agreement proposed by Corinthians and waived the additional interest on the debt the club owed him. As a result, the value of the debt was maintained at R$41.2 million and will be paid in two installments, in the last weeks of 2025. With the agreement, the Corinthians board is close to eliminating the risk of a new transfer ban. If the club does not comply with the agreement, however, the risk is of aggravating the punishment already in progress, referring to the R$33.4 million owed to Santos Laguna, from Mexico, for the purchase of defender Félix Torres, in addition to fines and interest.
Timão’s priority is to resolve issues related to the transfer ban and avoid new punishments. To this end, part of the R$77 million received for winning the Copa do Brasil will be allocated to paying Rojas.
The remainder of the amount will be used to pay off the debt with Santos Laguna, along with the loan and advance on television rights made with Liga Futebol Forte (LFU). It will also be used to pay late prizes to players, as recognition for achieving sporting goals.
Three days before the Copa do Brasil final, Corinthians released a balance sheet with a deficit of R$204.2 million until October. The budget forecast for 2026, approved by the Deliberative Council, estimates that the club will close the year with a surplus of R$12 million and Ebitda of R$320 million.
Even with qualification for the Libertadores, Corinthians plans to reduce football costs in 2026. The goal is to reduce payroll expenses from R$435 million to R$354 million, which represents a reduction of R$81 million. With other costs, such as expenses for services and games, the total cut in football should be R$90 million.
When considering the club’s general costs, including other sectors, the expected reduction is from R$505 million to R$410 million. To achieve this objective, president Osmar Stábile is seeking cuts in the social club and even considered extinguishing sports such as futsal, but retreated after the negative repercussions.
Timão also aims to raise R$151 million from the sale of players. Some base athletes, such as midfielder Breno Bidon and striker Gui Negão, are being watched by European clubs and can be traded. Goalkeeper Hugo Souza and striker Yuri Alberto could also receive offers from teams on the Old Continent. The continuity of football executive Fabinho Soldado, who is interested in Internacional, is still in doubt.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
