Former director admits clause and reveals cause of delay that allowed Rojas to leave Corinthians for free

Former football director at Corinthians, Rubão admitted having accepted a clause that allowed midfielder Matías Rojas to leave Corinthians for free. The Argentine had not received the image rights agreement from the black and white club for around six months and his staff threatened to terminate the contract. The solution of Timão’s new board, headed by Rubão and Augusto Melo, was to commit to paying the athlete without further delays, which ended up not happening.

“We got Matias Rojas’ contract on December 28th and I received a message from Rafael, who is his attorney, saying: ‘we are trying to negotiate with Corinthians, who owe so many months and I can now terminate the contract’. I said I couldn’t do anything, because I only enter on January 2nd. On January 3rd I called him, during this break I talked to Rojas at CT, I called him and said that this is the situation, which we are assuming now, to give us credibility”, said Rubão, possibly changing November for December – the club did not train between December 28th and January 3rd, which would prevent him from talking to Rojas at CT.

“But then he said he hadn’t been paid for six months, I don’t remember how long it was. Anyway, he took it and accepted it and set a condition: he agreed to pay in installments the amount he has to pay in cash, as long as they put it in the contract ‘if you delay any payment, I’ll leave’. But Augusto (Melo) was together with all of this, he knew that”, admitted Rubão in an interview for the program Mesa Redonda, on TV Gazetain the last Sunday.

The reason for Rojas’ non-payment was also revealed by Rubão. According to the former director, the black and white club prioritized paying the termination fines resulting from the dismissal of Mano Menezes and the hiring of António Oliveira instead of settling outstanding issues with the midfielder.

“We accepted the clause, he told (Augusto) that Rojas would be surprised by the new management, because we were going to fulfill what we promised, he said he could put in the clause that he would pay. So, he had money (to pay), but he had a problem. I don’t remember if it was to pay the fine for Mano (Menezes) or António (Oliveira). I had to pay both of their fines, and this money was used to pay for that.with the authorization of the president, who arrived at the finance department and said: ‘let’s pay this and then I have so many days to find Rojas’ money’. He hadn’t won, he was in Maringá, his attorney called me and said: ‘you didn’t pay Rojas‘. I spoke to the financier, they said that the president didn’t pay, to pay António and Mano. I said to advance the two installments and pay them both one day. But then it didn’t work”, he revealed.

The clause included in Rojas’ contract at Corinthians was revealed by president Augusto Melo in early March 2024. However, the agent did not admit that he himself was one of those responsible for the new agreement, as Rubão pointed out.

Legal fight

Rojas remains under contract with Corinthians until June 2027, but obtained a release from FIFA to be able to sign with Inter Miami, from MLS, Argentine Lionel Messi’s team, where he has already debuted and scored goals.

The player also charged around R$40 million from Corinthians at FIFA, an amount referring to salaries, image rights and other financial charges that he would have to receive until the end of the contract. Both parties, however, can negotiate a new out-of-court agreement while the case is not judged by football’s highest entity.

When he was announced by the new club, Rojas stated that everything was resolved with Corinthians, a fact denied by Rozallah Santoro, Timão’s financial director.

See more at: Rubão, Matías Rojas, Augusto Melo, Corinthians Board, António Oliveira and Mano Menezes.