Zakaria Labyad's Statement on Memphis Depay's Future at Corinthians
Zakaria Labyad had barely finished silencing Penarol in Montevideo when he started fighting a different battle hundreds of miles away in Sao Paulo.
One swing of his right boot rescued a crucial continental draw. One celebration made his message crystal clear.
Fingers in his ears, Memphis Depay-style, the Moroccan midfielder didn’t just copy an iconic gesture – he lit a flare under the debate dominating Corinthians’ boardroom. The equaliser kept their campaign steady. The celebration dragged the contract saga of their Dutch star right back into the spotlight.
A Goal, A Gesture, A Statement
Labyad’s tribute was no accident. Speaking to ESPN after the match, he spelled out what the dressing room has been saying quietly for weeks and loudly in front of the cameras now.
“Yes, of course [the celebration was a tribute to Memphis],” he said, before turning the focus firmly on the club’s next move.
“It’s very important for the club to take the next step so that he stays with the club. We’ve seen what he’s done in the last two years with the players, for the club, winning three trophies, helping them avoid relegation. He did a great job for the team, so for the club, for us players, we would love for him to stay at Corinthians.”
No ambiguity. No diplomacy. Just a squad publicly closing ranks around the man they see as their talisman.
Depay’s impact since landing in South America has gone far beyond highlight reels. He has altered the culture, raised standards, and dragged Corinthians through tight corners – from trophy runs to survival fights. Three titles and a great escape carry weight in any negotiation, and the players know it.
Clock Ticking in the Boardroom
The problem is time. Depay’s current deal runs only until the end of July, and the countdown has begun.
Inside the club’s offices, executives are locked in tense talks with three external commercial partners, trying to stitch together the financial package needed to keep a marquee name on a marquee wage. The plan is clear: build a contract extension that is fully underwritten, protect the wage structure, and still satisfy a player who knows his value on and off the pitch.
Every day without an agreement sharpens the tension. Every public plea, like Labyad’s, piles on the pressure.
A Body Catching Up With His Reputation
While the accountants crunch numbers, Depay is fighting a different race – with his own body.
His season has been fractured by a long spell in the treatment room. Since late March, he has been sidelined, working through a complex physical transition after prolonged inactivity. The comeback has been careful, measured, and at times frustrating.
This week brought another bump. A minor muscular strain in his left leg during training on Monday briefly halted his reintegration. The medical department, though, is calm. For them, this kind of small imbalance is normal for an elite athlete ramping back up after a long lay-off, an expected kink rather than a red flag.
So the work continues. Gym, pitch, recovery. Again and again, until he clears the final rehabilitation milestones and can rejoin the squad at full tilt.
A Brutal Week Ahead
Corinthians do not have the luxury of waiting forever.
A punishing stretch looms: three matches in seven days that will test both legs and nerves. It starts with a heavy Brasileirao assignment at home to Atletico-MG on Sunday, May 24 – a fixture that rarely passes without bruises.
Then comes a decisive Copa Libertadores group-stage clash against Platense, a match that will shape their continental path. No room for error there. No room for mental drift, either.
Finally, a trip to face Gremio on May 30, another physical and emotional examination in a week that could redefine their season.
As directors wrestle with spreadsheets and sponsorships to lock down a multi-million-pound renewal, the player at the centre of it all has a simpler target: get fit, stay fit, and be ready to tilt those games in Corinthians’ favour.
The squad has made its stance public. The fans know what they want. The coach knows what he loses if Depay walks away.
The question now is whether the club’s hierarchy moves as decisively as its players have – before that ticking contract runs out of time.
