There was a moment of showboating followed by several of chaos.
Memphis Depay stood with both feet on the ball as Corinthians ticked towards glory in the Paulista A1 final against Palmeiras, sparking a mass brawl that eventually led to a player from each side sent off.
The move enraged not only the opposition but also the Brazilian football federation, which responded by suggesting the act was a “provocation to a rival and disrespects the game”, one punishable by a yellow card. Depay, and Brazil legend Neymar, hit back.
“I really went to Brazil to experience jogo bonito [the beautiful game],” said the Netherlands forward Depay. “There is so much talent over here. The joy and passion in the way of expressing ourselves on the field shouldn’t be limited.”
“Football is getting more and more boring,” added Neymar.
Depay is not your conventional footballer. Rapper, philanthropist, muse. Sweatband cradling his brow and lion inked on his back, the 31-year-old has boldly written his own legacy.
Having ridden the wave of PSV Eindhoven wonderkid turned Manchester United misfit, he was an early purveyor of analytics in rebooting his career. He impressed at Lyon and won silverware in Spain before becoming a favourite in Brazil.
Yet he is also the Netherlands’ all-time top scorer, etching his name into Dutch record books above iconic figures and penalty-box predators, and will look to add to his tally of 52 goals in the current international break.
“I travelled to Brazil specifically to see if he could still be of sufficient value to the Dutch national team as a Corinthians player,” said Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman. “You don’t do that for everyone.”
In a country used to losing its top talents to Europe, Depay has earned cult status for going the other way – even if there have been disputes over bonus payments in his lucrative contract, which Corinthians have agreed to pay in instalments.
“The fans like him a lot,” explains Bruno Cassucci, who covers Corinthians for Globo in Sao Paulo. “But there’s much debate about his cost-benefit, since Memphis is a very expensive player and the club is dealing with huge financial problems.”
The bonus issues arose partly because of Depay’s success at the Sao Paulo giants, scoring seven goals in 11 games at the end of last season to take them from 18th to seventh in the top flight, before winning the state championship.
“He helped the team avoid relegation and, with an impressive run, secured qualification for this year’s Copa Libertadores,” says Cassucci. “This season he won the Paulista Championship, helping Corinthians end a six-year title drought.”
Yet Depay has endeared himself to fans for reasons beyond the pitch.
“He also gave us his big personality,” Corinthians football executive Fabinho Soldado told the Associated Press. “He has blended very well with Brazilian culture, so people feel closer to him.”
In his first news conference Depay called Brazil the “mecca of football”, and he has professed his admiration for Latin American “energy”.
“They are more fascinated about life,” said Depay. “The way they experience life, it is not just football.”
He has also been praised for embracing the Brazilian lifestyle.
His own music career dates back to 2017, but this year he collaborated on an album called ‘Falando com as Favelas’ (Talking to the Favelas) with Brazilian funk artist MC Hariel. One of the tracks is a tribute to Corinthians fans.
“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,” said Depay, who has been pictured meeting locals in favelas near Sao Paulo.
“I know that if I spend just one hour talking to people, they can maybe get inspired. I want to go there to help them.”
Brazil is where the world first took notice of the young prospect at the 2014 World Cup, scoring twice as the Netherlands finished third.
Depay could have moved on then, with Paris St-Germain and Liverpool reported to be options, but he chose to stay in the Netherlands and win the title with PSV before being brought to Old Trafford at the age of 21 by compatriot Louis van Gaal.
“Memphis was always a really good player,” says former United team-mate Wayne Rooney. “There were a few things at Manchester United, which I suppose are just the way it’s gone now, where he was a bit flashy. I’m sure he’ll say that himself.”
Depay drew as much attention for his expensive cars as he did for his performances in Manchester, which amounted to seven goals and five assists in 53 games.
“We weren’t doubting his ability, and his work-rate and dedication was always top,” says Rooney. “He is someone I liked as a person.
“He did some stuff maybe I wouldn’t have, but I’m pleased because he’s worked really, really hard to get that [Netherlands’ top scorer].
“He has always had an eye for goal. His career has taken a few different paths as well, which is not always easy, but he’s always scored wherever he has been.”
When Van Gaal was replaced by Jose Mourinho in summer 2016, Depay found his chances limited and sought a move the following January.
“He realised he needed a fresh start and took an analytical approach in finding a data science company to analyse which clubs would best suit his characteristics as a player within their style of play,” says Dutch journalist Arthur Renard.
“It was an effort to revive his career and it paid off.”
That company was SciSports, which composed a report highlighting five suitable clubs based on factors including playing style, manager and competition for places, while taking into account Depay wanting more freedom in attacking moments.
SciSports said Depay chose to dismiss interest from Everton, Fenerbahce and clubs in Italy and Spain as Lyon emerged as the best option.
“There, he had top form,” says Renard. “Around the same time he grew as a person, becoming more open, speaking more to the media and revealing more of his personal side.
“He also started a foundation to support deaf and blind children around the world.”
On the back of 76 goals in 178 games in four and a half years at Lyon, Barcelona manager Koeman, who had coached Depay with the Netherlands, took him to the Nou Camp.
Despite a productive first term, scoring 12 goals in 28 La Liga games, Depay struggled to really make his mark in three seasons in Spain at Barcelona and then Atletico Madrid, leaving for Brazil in September last year.
For the Netherlands, however, he has long been a key figure
When Arsenio Lopez was designing the Netherlands’ 2022 World Cup collection, he spent hours researching players and their personalities looking for inspiration – he wanted to portray the “power, glow and regalness” of the lion on the badge.
“One of the guys who stood out a lot was Memphis Depay,” says Lopez. “I used him a lot as the main muse – his expression, the giant lion tattoo he has on his back.
“The main idea was inspired by the brashness and confidence that certain players, like Memphis, were bringing to the team.”
Depay scored once in Qatar, helping the Netherlands beat the USA in the last 16 before they were knocked out in the quarter-finals on penalties by eventual winners Argentina.
Two years later, at Euro 2024 in Germany, he started every game for a buoyant Netherlands side but was taken off injured during the first half of an agonising semi-final defeat by England.
Dennis Bergkamp, Robin van Persie, Johnny Rep, Wesley Sneijder, Patrick Kluivert, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arjen Robben have more than Depay’s six goals at major tournaments.
But his longevity has taken him to a record 52 in orange – two more than Van Persie and 10 more than third on the list, Klaas Jan-Huntelaar.
“Fans have come to appreciate him – they recognise there are not many strong alternatives at centre-forward right now,” says Renard.
In Koeman and Van Gaal, Depay has found coaches wanting to give him a platform to perform – 37 of his international goals have come during their spells in charge – even if he may start on the bench for the World Cup qualifier in Malta on Thursday after arriving late for the training camp because his passport was stolen.
“We’ve known each other for a long time,” says Koeman. “Sometimes you have a bond with a player that is just a little stronger and bigger.”
Depay’s goalscoring record in numbers-BBC
