Former Manchester United and Barcelona star Memphis Depay has taken to social media to fire back at now-former club Corinthians after the Brazilian side opted not to renew his contract.
The 32-year-old had called the Neo Química Arena home for the best part of two years, scoring 20 goals in 79 appearances, whilst winning the Paulistão, Copa do Brasil, and the Supercopa Rei in the process.
Despite Depay’s impact, the club announced on Tuesday that it would not be renewing his contract, via a lengthy statement published on social media. It explained, “This decision was taken solely and exclusively in consideration of the financial health of our institution, which demands rigorous balance and responsibility in the management of available resources.
“We would like to express our deep gratitude to player Memphis Depay and his entire team, who from the start of negotiations sought the best possible agreement.”
The statement went on to list his achievements, which it described as “a fundamental part of Corinthians' history.”
It continued, “We understand that the process extended beyond the traditional deadline, but this is mainly due to the fact that we are dealing with a differentiated athlete.
“The Board also recognizes and values the tireless efforts of all the institution's departments that worked to make the athlete's stay feasible. However, after careful analysis, exclusively financial reasons and the commitment to responsible management of the Club prevailed.
“Given Corinthians' current and future financial obligations, it became clear that taking on a new commitment of this magnitude would not be compatible, at this moment, with the financial balance we need to preserve to ensure the institution's sustainability.
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“We recognize that this was a difficult decision, but undoubtedly necessary for the future of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista.”
The statement later said that a press conference will be held in the next few days, with club President Osmar Stabile set to answer what will likely be an extensive list of questions.
To say that all of this did not go down well with the Netherlands’ all-time leading goal scorer Depay would be an understatement. He subsequently took to social media to address the situation, stating, “Very disappointed to read that Corinthians decided not to honour our agreement in place to extend my contract for 2 more years.
“This renewal was explicitly agreed upon by the president as well as the sporting, legal and financial department. Some people decided however to breach this engagement...
“I didn't want this situation and always respected the club throughout the process, but now I am forced to react strongly in order to preserve my interests. In the upcoming days I will speak publicly but rest assured that I will not leave this unacceptable behaviour unsanctioned.”
Depay has yet to release any further updates on the situation.
This leaves the 112-time international free to search for the seventh club of his professional career, which has seen its fair share of highs, such as winning La Liga with Barça and the Eredivisie with PSV, as well as lows, perhaps most notably his underwhelming season and a half in the Premier League with United.
Source: Alloutsoccer.com
