Zakaria Labyad's Message to Corinthians Board After Vital Equaliser

In Montevideo, Zakaria Labyad did far more than salvage a point.

The Moroccan midfielder struck a vital equaliser against Penarol in continental competition, then turned the night into a loud message for the boardroom 2,000 kilometres away in Sao Paulo. His celebration said it first. His words drove it home.

Labyad wheeled away and pressed his fingers into his ears – the now-iconic gesture made famous by Memphis Depay. It was no coincidence, no off-the-cuff flourish. It was a tribute, and a warning: Corinthians cannot afford to let their Dutch talisman walk away.

Speaking to ESPN after the draw, Labyad made the dressing room’s stance crystal clear. “Yes, of course [the celebration was a tribute to Memphis],” he said, before spelling out exactly why the club must move. He pointed to the transformation Depay has led since landing in South America: two years of trophies, survival, and standards.

"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."

That is not a polite request from inside the camp. It is a united front. The squad know what Depay represents: a marquee signing who changed the culture, lifted the level and, when it mattered most, helped drag Corinthians away from the trapdoor.

The problem is the clock.

Depay’s current deal runs only until the end of July. Every passing week tightens the squeeze on the directors, who are locked in urgent talks with three external commercial partners to fully underwrite the kind of lucrative extension a player of his profile demands. Without that backing, keeping him in Parque São Jorge becomes a financial gamble. With it, Corinthians secure both a marketing pillar and a difference-maker on the pitch.

The timing could hardly be more delicate. Depay’s season has already been chopped apart by injury, his campaign stalled by a long spell in the treatment room since late March as he navigated a complex physical transition phase. Just when his reintegration seemed within reach, another bump appeared: a minor muscular strain in his left leg during training on Monday.

The medical department has played down the scare, treating it as the kind of imbalance that often surfaces when an elite player ramps up again after a long lay-off. No alarms, no drastic change of plan. But it is another reminder that the club must manage both his body and his contract with care.

On the calendar, the demands are relentless. Corinthians are staring at a bruising, three-game gauntlet inside a week. It begins with a physical Brasileirao test at home to Atletico-MG on Sunday, May 24. Then comes a decisive Copa Libertadores group-stage clash with Platense, a fixture that will shape their continental path. After that, a trip to face Gremio on May 30, the kind of away day that exposes any weakness in legs or focus.

While executives juggle spreadsheets and sponsorship calls, Depay’s world is narrower and more ruthless. His task is to tick off the final rehabilitation markers, clear each physical hurdle, and be ready to tilt Corinthians’ domestic push back in their favour.

Labyad’s goal in Montevideo bought the club breathing space on the pitch. His celebration and his interview stripped away any illusion off it. The squad have spoken. Now the question is whether the board can move quickly enough to keep their talisman at the heart of this project, or whether July will mark the end of one of the most intriguing chapters in recent Corinthians history.