Corinthians at 115: aiming to bounce back and find stability | OneFootball

Loved (and hated) by many, the Sport Club Corinthians Paulista celebrates its 115th anniversary this Monday, September 1, 2025. Although they didn't gift their fans with a victory in last Sunday's Derby, Corinthians marks its anniversary trying to rise again in the national football scene.

Corinthians has shown some strength this season. In March this year, still under the command of Ramón Díaz, they won the Paulista title against their rival Palmeiras, ending a six-year trophy drought and sending the loyal fans into a frenzy.

In the Copa do Brasil, they are more alive than ever and have an advantage in the quarterfinals. To get there, Timão eliminated none other than Palmeiras themselves. Dorival Jr.'s Alvinegro dominated the rival and secured the classification with a 3-0 aggregate score. More than the result, the performance was superior.

The team, however, still struggles with consistency. Even before the Paulista final, Corinthians suffered another elimination in the preliminary phase of the Libertadores. The Corinthians team was defeated by Barcelona de Guayaquil and bid farewell to the dream of the continental title, which seems increasingly distant at the moment.

In the Copa Sudamericana, the same pattern. Timão failed to gain momentum and had a terrible campaign in the group stage. As a result, they didn't even qualify for the playoffs of the competition. Meanwhile, in the Brazilian Championship, the club is once again fighting against relegation.

Thus, fluctuation is very present in Corinthians' daily life. Beyond that, the club reports a debt of R$ 2.4 billion, which is certainly not easy to handle. Everyone knows about Timão's financial problems. Still, the team has found ways to survive, even though the club's politics have been 'on life support' at various times throughout the year.

Club seeks political peace

Corinthians went through significant political chaos in its 115th year of history. Elected in 2024, Augusto Melo became a defendant in the VaideBet case, a year and a half later, for crimes of money laundering, qualified theft, and criminal association. In August this year, he was definitively removed from office.

Augusto, however, did not accept defeat and, along with his allies, staged one of the saddest episodes at Parque São Jorge. On May 31, the impeached president invaded the presidency office and attempted to reassume power through an official document, but the document was not recognized by Osmar Stabile, who was then the interim leader of Corinthians.

Moreover, Augusto Melo and his allies also filed various legal actions. Some sought to suspend the process in the VaideBet case, while other requests attempted to overturn the impeachment of the leader, initially removed by the Deliberative Council and later by the members.

President Osmar Stabile, on the left, and Fabinho Soldado, the club's football executive (Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

Thus, Augusto was definitively impeached from Corinthians on August 9, 2025. Quickly, new indirect elections were scheduled. On the 25th, Osmar Stabile was elected by Timão's councilors for a temporary mandate until the end of 2026, when Augusto's term would have ended.

Now with an elected president and seemingly calmer backstage, Corinthians seeks political peace to make all sectors thrive. With a less troubled environment, there is hope that the club can experience better days in the near future.

Youth academy recovering

Corinthians' youth academy is also awaiting better days. During Augusto Melo's administration, Timão hired over 80 players for the youth categories. The hiring of reinforcements that added little to the young teams drew much criticism to the now ex-president.

The new board, in this sense, is working to improve the situation of the club's youth categories. Stabile's administration is reviewing all contracts signed during Augusto Melo's term and preparing a long list of dismissals. The current leader is working together with the competent board to offload some players and reduce the payroll.

Led by Carlos Roberto Auricchio, known as ‘Nenê do Posto’, and executive Alex Brasil, the youth board has been meeting with the technical committees of all categories, from under-7 to under-20, to evaluate each athlete and decide which ones have and which ones do not have the potential to represent Corinthians. Those who receive a negative diagnosis are expected to be released.

Women's team remains strong

One of the best-functioning departments at Corinthians, the women's football team remains strong, despite the previous board delaying the payment of amounts related to the prize for winning the 2024 Libertadores. Last Sunday, the Brabas secured a spot in the Brazilian final for the ninth time.

The team also gained some new players who came to play ball. Now, Timão is chasing its seventh title. Moreover, the team is already guaranteed in the next edition of the women's Libertadores, which will be in 2026. The success of the Brabas is something Corinthians can be proud of and must maintain.

The Corinthians women's team lost the Supercup at the beginning of the year but recovered and is in the Brazilian Championship final. Timão is still in the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil and will compete not only in the Libertadores but also in the Paulista knockout stage in this season's final stretch.

Upcoming Corinthians matches

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.