A top offer from Europe failed to materialise. So Memphis Depay, aged 30, moved to Brazil, where he had to look down on the league table with a traditional club.
A better national player than a club player: Memphis Depay. IMAGO/Sports Press Photo
Memphis Depay has waited a long time. So long that, due to a lack of preparation and match practice, he is not part of the Dutch squad that will host the German national team on Tuesday evening in Amsterdam (8.45 p.m., LIVE! on kicker). “Memphis has to be fit and play games,” said national coach Ronald Koeman, explaining the 30-year-old’s non-nomination. Both players had been in contact about this.
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Depay’s contract with Atletico Madrid expired on June 30th, but a desired attractive and lucrative offer from Europe has not materialized even more than a week after the European deadline day. So the attacker is changing continents: he has joined the Brazilian club Corinthians for an initial two-and-a-half years.
The traditional club from Sao Paulo has a great history. Roberto Rivelino and Socrates played their best years there, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo ended their careers at Corinthians. Not many Brazilian clubs have a larger following. However, the present situation at the 2012 club world champions is anything but rosy: after 25 of 38 match days, they are only in 17th place in the 20-team league, and a relegation battle is now on the agenda for Depay.
It didn’t work out for the top clubs
It is in some ways the continuation of an eternal discrepancy in the career of a 30-year-old whose star rose at the 2014 World Cup. At club level, including Manchester United, FC Barcelona and most recently Atletico, Depay was never able to establish himself as a world-class player. His strongest periods were in Eindhoven and later in Lyon, not at the top clubs in the front row.
In the national team, however, there have been few consistently strong attackers in Europe over the past decade. Depay (98 appearances) is approaching his 100th international match, and on the list of Oranje record goalscorers only Robin van Persie (50 goals) is ahead of him (46). It is likely that the European Championship player will break both records despite his departure from Europe. Depay is “still part of the Dutch team,” assured decision-maker Koeman. The national coach dealt differently with Steven Bergwijn, who will play in Saudi Arabia in the future.
