Memphis Depay says European players will follow him to Brazilian soccer

SAO PAULO (AP) — Netherlands striker Memphis Depay says he expects other European soccer players to join him in the Brazilian league before the 2026 World Cup.

The 30-year-old Depay on Thursday gave his first press conference as a player of Corinthians but didn’t specify why he decided to come to South America.

Depay, who signed a two-year contract, had been introduced to Corinthians fans Wednesday evening before his new team’s 3-1 win in a Brazilian Cup match against Juventude, which advanced the hosts to the semifinals.

“This is bigger than football,” Depay said at the club’s NeoQuimica Arena. “A lot of stars come from Brazil, big football players. It is the mecca of football. Kids in Europe look up to Brazil and the way you play and embrace life.”

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.

FIFA records show an average of 1,000 Brazilian footballers leaving the country every year, many of them to Europe.

“It is a great moment to bridge that gap to the other side of the world,” the striker added. “We always come to take the Brazilian talents to Europe because they have something special. This league needs a light from the other side.”

Depay hasn’t played since the European Championship in July. The Dutch were knocked out by England in the semifinal.

“I need to have my rhythm back,” Depay said when asked whether playing regularly in Brazil was key for his plans to play for his national team. “(Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman) will investigate this league and find out it is a competitive one.”

Depay said he received advice on coming to Brazil from Neymar, Vinicius Júnior and his personal chef, who is Brazilian.

“On the other side of the world they don’t know all this (in Brazil), they just follow European clubs. It is time that they see. Brazilians have something special, I think the league will shine to the other side of the world. It is time to show its potential, I think it will happen in the next few years,” Depay said.

Asked persistently about his reasons to come to Brazil, he replied: “It is a decision that is moved by a lot of force behind it. It goes beyond my understanding. I cannot express how I feel now.”

Depay 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 semifinals of the Brazilian Cup and in the quarterfinals of Copa Sudamericana, South America’s second most prestigious club tournament.

The Dutch striker will wear jersey No. 94 in the Brazilian league, in a reference to the year he was born, and No. 7 in the Copa Sudamericana.

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