SAO PAULO: Dutch striker Memphis Depay arrived early Wednesday at Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos international airport after signing a two-year deal with Brazilian soccer club Corinthians.
The 30-year-old Depay, who left Spanish team Atletico Madrid on a free transfer, is expected to be introduced to fans later at the Neo Quimica Arena before Corinthians play in the second leg of its Brazilian Cup quarterfinal tie against Juventude. The Sao Paulo-based team, which has more than 35 million supporters, lost the first leg 2-1.
Depay is scheduled to give a press conference at the same stadium on Thursday morning.
Depay left Rotterdam on Tuesday afternoon in a Gulfstream G550 jet. The striker published a picture of the plane on his social media channels with the message: “Going home.”
The former PSV Eindhoven star played for the Netherlands at the European Championship.
Other European players who had spells at Brazilian clubs include Clarence Seedorf at Botafogo; Serbian Dejan Petkovic, who played for multiple clubs and remains a hero for Flamengo fans; and Frenchman Dimitri Payet, currently at Vasco da Gama.
Depay, who undertook his medical tests in the Netherlands earlier this week, had spells at Manchester United, Lyon and Barcelona before joining Atletico Madrid.
Corinthians is fighting to avoid relegation in the Brazilian league, with 13 rounds remaining. It is in the quarterfinals of the Brazilian Cup and the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s second most prestigious club tournament.
Dutch striker Memphis Depay arrives in Sao Paulo to join Corinthians
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Dutch striker Memphis Depay arrives in Sao Paulo to join Corinthians
- The 30-year-old Depay, who left Spanish team Atletico Madrid on a free transfer, is expected to be introduced to fans later Wednesday
Real Madrid handed shock home loss as Celta Vigo spring surprise
- Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins
MADRID: Real Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 loss and finished with nine men against Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Sunday after Williot Swedberg scored an audacious goal with his heel and a second in stoppage time to leave the hosts four points off leaders Barcelona.
Swedish substitute Swedberg cleverly diverted a cross from Bryan Zaragoza past Thibaut Courtois in the 53rd minute to put Celta ahead and had an easy finish three minutes into added time, going around the goalkeeper to wrap up the points.
Real’s cause was not helped by the 64th minute dismissal of Fran Garcia, who picked up two yellow cards in 60 seconds, but they laid siege to the visitors’ goal for the last 20 minutes as Celta went into a defensive shell to hold onto their advantage.
Real defender Alvaro Carreras was also dismissed for two cautions, his second coming in stoppage time at the end of the game as the home side’s frustrations boiled over.
It was a second clean sheet in 15 league games this season for Celta, whose keeper Ionut Radu made a first-half save from Jude Bellingham’s header and stopped a second-half free-kick whipped in by Kylian Mbappe.
Real stay on 36 points from 16 games as Celta celebrated a first win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 19 years, leaving the Galician club with 19 points.
“With the team they have and their quality, it’s difficult to match them, but we read the game well,” said Celta striker Borja Iglesias. “We had possession, we played in their half, we played a fantastic match.”
Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins.
Xabi Alonso’s stuttering Real team have now won only one of their last five league games as they await the midweek arrival of Manchester City in the Champions League.
Earlier on Sunday, Espanyol moved up to fifth as Roberto Fernandez’s first half penalty handed them a 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano as both sides finished with 10 men.
Elche’s Rafa Mir scored twice as they ran out 3-0 home winners over struggling Girona, while hosts Valencia and Sevilla remained in the bottom half of the table after a 1-1 draw.
