Depay changes fortunes for Corinthians and becomes the most popular player in Brazil

SAO PAULO (AP) - The most popular soccer player in Brazil today didn’t start off on the sandy beaches of tropical Rio de Janeiro or kicking a ball barefoot on mud fields around Sao Paulo. He grew up in a cold, damp and bucolic Dutch village of Moordrecht.

When 30-year-old striker Memphis Depay announced in September he was set to leave Europe for South America after frustrating spells at Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, it took fans by surprise. After all, other big clubs, including some in the Champions League, were interested in signing him.

Why Brazil, where wages for footballers are still far from those even in mid-table European clubs? Why Corinthians, a Sao Paulo club mired in debt and facing relegation? Why make it harder for Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman to see him play regularly ahead of the 2026 World Cup?

"I don't have the answer for that," Depay said in his first press conference at Corinthians.

Still, he insisted, "the energies showed" he needed to sign a long contract with the Brazilian club which has a long tradition of winning trophies, but is enduring a five-year title drought, debts of about 2.4 billion Brazilian reais (almost $400 million), and a political crisis that almost led to the impeachment of club president Augusto Melo.

It fit Depay like a glove.

Led by Depay, Corinthians not only avoided relegation, surging out of 18th place, but managed to qualify for next year's Copa Libertadores after nine consecutive wins in the Brazilian league. Depay scored seven goals in 14 matches in the tournament, including one with an acrobatic bicycle kick in his team's 3-0 victory at Gremio in the final round on Sunday.

"I've said from the beginning. I can bring my experience, my talents, and I can inspire the team to fight for something. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come," Depay told journalists after Corinthians recent 3-0 win against City Group-owned Bahia. "There are many places where you can get a big salary. But this was a challenge for me, it really spoke to me."

The core of Depay's success in Brazil is simple: goals. Five of his seven goals in the league broke ties to Corinthians favor. He scored twice from free kicks, once from long range and the other with a blast from a wide angle. Another two came from calm finishes in front of the goalkeeper, in opportunities that his teammates often wasted before he arrived. The bicycle kick goal left fans wondering what would have happened if he had come earlier.

Corinthians placed 7th with 56 points, 14 points clear of the relegation zone but still 23 points behind champion Botafogo.

Brazilian fans of all clubs fell in love with the Dutchman. When Corinthians won 4-2 at Criciuma on Nov. 30, local fans lined up to get a picture with Depay, who patiently waited until everyone got what they wanted. It’s been the same at every match since he joined.

"I like to do his celebration, putting the fingers on the ears. I have done that many times," said 11-year-old Palmeiras fan Miguel Fernandes, who regularly plays soccer at school and on the streets of Campinas, a city outside Sao Paulo. "This is the first time I like a Corinthians player. I’m not getting a Memphis headband because my father would not approve, but he is nice."

Depay has earned respect for what he’s done off the pitch, too. He has been photographed in favelas outside Sao Paulo, meeting locals and enjoying music. He has also attended samba music events linked to Corinthians ultra supporters, partnered with local rappers, and even put some public pressure on Neymar to join him.

"Memphis, beyond his skills and international fame, brought us experience and goals. And he also gave us his big personality. He made Corinthians be seen worldwide, he is a Dutch national team player after all," Corinthians soccer executive Fabinho Soldado told The Associated Press. "He has also blended very well with Brazilian culture, so people feel closer to him."

Depay, who also played for PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United and Lyon before his spells in Spain, said he had never felt such a connection with a fanbase. He has celebrated with them on the pitch after every win, learned some of their chants in Portuguese, and promised this is just the start.

"South and Latin America, they have like a different energy. They have more. They are more fascinated about life. The way they experience life, you know, it not just football," the striker said after the victory against Bahia. "You cannot compare (with European fans). I'm really impressed. I'm always excited to go and be on the pitch.”

"You can see me one day in a suit with important people, politicians, whatever, and the next day I'm with people that have less opportunities. I know that if I spend just one hour talking to people, they can maybe get inspired," Depay added. "I want to go there to help them."

Questions about the competitiveness of the Brazilian league remain, and Depay hasn’t returned to the Netherlands national team since arriving in South America. That is no small detail for a striker who is second only to Robin van Persie on the Netherlands' all-time second scoring list. He’d be hoping to take 12-hour flights next year to play in European World Cup qualifying __ that's exactly what many South Americans often do, after all.

"You know, if the national team needs me, they know where to find me," Depay said, in the hopes Koeman will come to watch him play at Corinthians' NeoQuimica Arena.

Corinthians fans are sure Depay will be in Sao Paulo, hoping to inspire more European players to join him South America.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer