New Corinthians director will carry out major restructuring

The new Corinthians board has begun a process of restructuring the youth teams, motivated by the excess of athletes and employees inherited from the previous management, led by Augusto Melo. The director Carlos Roberto Auricchio, known as Nenê do Posto, took over the command of the sector at the beginning of June and classified the current situation as "unviable".

According to Nenê, the youth team structure has been overloaded with the signing of 87 players since 2024, mainly for intermediate categories such as under-16 and under-18, later merged into under-20 B. "Our main aim is to streamline the team. The problem goes from under-7 to under-20. The coaches divide the field into three so that everyone can fit in training," he said in an interview.

The current management has also identified problems with contracts. Many athletes have professional contracts, which requires caution to avoid costs with terminations. "I will try to convince them that it is better to leave on good terms. We will also try to place these players in a club," explained Nenê, who also highlighted the proximity of registration for the São Paulo Junior Football Cup, scheduled for September.

In addition to the departure of athletes, the downsizing has also affected the staff. Coordinators such as Chicão and Batata have been laid off, and larger cuts are being considered, since the monthly cost of the youth team has jumped from R$700,000 in 2019 to around R$1.6 million currently. "The department is bloated in every aspect. That's why the club can't cope," he said.

Despite the decision to reduce the number of athletes, there is also recognition of technical deficiencies in some categories. "Our under-20s played the last match with three attackers, two aged 17 and one aged 15. Those who are old enough for the category are not fit to play," reported the director.

Finally, Nenê highlighted his career at the club, mentioning that he has been working for Corinthians since 1960 and that he has never received a salary for his dedication: "I am crazy about this sport. I worked for four decades as a director and with several different presidents, but Corinthians never put a loaf of bread on my table."