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
Morocco part company with coach Regragui as World Cup looms
RABAT: Morocco parted company with coach Walid Regragui on Thursday, three months before the World Cup, with the country’s football federation naming Mohamed Ouahbi as his replacement.
Regragui leaves despite having led the Atlas Lions to the World Cup semifinals in 2022 and to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations at the beginning of this year.
“I leave my post with loyalty, gratitude, and the certainty that I have served my country,” he declared during a ceremony broadcast live on television, confirming weeks of persistent rumors that he was on his way out.
Ouahbi, 49, is promoted to the role having overseen Morocco’s triumph at the Under-20 World Cup in October, with the federation describing the move as “a strategic transition” in the run-up to the World Cup in North America in June and July.
“It’s a desire not to waste time and to take a different direction,” a source close to the Moroccan Federation told AFP.
“By appointing Mohamed Ouahbi and welcoming top-tier reinforcements, we are raising our standards and our demands,” the source said.
Morocco will be in Group C at the World Cup along with five-time winners Brazil, Scotland and Haiti.
They begin their campaign against Brazil at the MetLife Stadium just outside New York City on June 13 and will be hoping to make a big impression at the tournament before co-hosting the 2030 edition with Spain and Portugal.
“Our ambition is to consolidate our place among the best nations in a sustainable way and to perform well from this summer, as well as in 2030,” the leader of the Moroccan federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, said recently.
Regragui was hailed in 2022 after Morocco became the first African nation in World Cup history to reach the semifinals, beating Spain and Portugal along the way.
However, Regragui likely paid the ultimate price for the manner in which Morocco lost the recent AFCON final to Senegal.
His team were beaten 1-0 after extra-time at the end of a match marred by the Senegal team’s decision to walk off the pitch in protest at the award of a controversial late penalty to the hosts.
The penalty award with the game goalless sparked trouble in the crowd involving Senegal fans, 18 of whom were jailed following the disruption.
Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz eventually took the penalty after a long delay but his kick was saved and Senegal went on to win the game.
