Memphis Depay sparks fresh controversy in Brazil after sideline phone call during match

Memphis Depay continues to make headlines in Brazil. Every match seems to cast him as the central figure for one reason or another. Just days ago, it was for a stunning goal against Neymar’s Santos. Last night, however, his impact was far less positive. He started against Flamengo but was forced off after just 22 minutes with discomfort, requesting to be substituted before heading to the locker room.

In the second half, while sitting on the bench alongside his teammates, he was caught taking a phone call for several minutes. The situation escalated until Corinthians staff approached him and asked him to put the phone away. Following the incident, Depay took to social media to explain himself: he said he had been speaking with the Dutch national team’s medical staff to update them on his condition.

“Just to clarify my moment with the phone was pure to communicate with the medical staff in the Netherlands at that moment. I came outside to show support to my team while I could’ve stayed inside the dressing room with the injury. I’m Upset with the result of the game as well. We keep Working for better days. Tmj!,” he wrote on his social media accounts.

At 32, Depay still harbors the major ambition of playing in the World Cup with the Netherlands — a goal that fans of his club frequently hold against him. Another source of tension is his hefty salary — around $14 million annually — despite Corinthians’ financial struggles. The club’s debt to the player is reportedly close to $5.4 million.

“I feel that many people are working against Corinthians. So when someone like me arrives in the country, with my character and personality, and the team starts to succeed, fans begin to see that the old days of winning trophies are returning — something some people don’t like. There are things, like the details of my contract, that people find hard to accept and cannot really comment on. Everything is visible, except sometimes the truth,” he said a few days ago.

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