At the beginning of this year, a conflict broke out that had excited Boca Juniors because Matías Rojas declared himself free due to lack of payment at Corinthians and declared that the Xeneize made arrangements to have him in their ranks. However, his destiny was already heading towards other latitudes because in April he was presented as a reinforcement of the Inter Miamiwhere he is a partner of Lionel Messiwhile his legal battle with the Timon continued until FIFA gave its verdict in the last few hours.
According to the Brazilian portal, Esporte Balloonthe institution that is in relegation positions in the Brasileirao She was sentenced to pay 40.4 million reais (more than USD 7,300,000)after Rojas terminated his contract for a delay in collecting your image rights, which were part of his salary. The compensation set by the football mother house covers what the 28-year-old footballer should have received until the end of their bondwhich extended until June 2027, as stated in its registration with the São Paulo Football Federation.
The Copa Libertadores champion will appeal the ruling before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the last instance and the body could take more than a year The request for compensation was made in dollars, but the ruling set the amount in Brazilian reals. For the moment, FIFA has not applied other punishments, such as the prohibition of signing players for three windows or until the debt is paid.The club will only receive such a sanction if it does not pay Rojas within a period of 45 days or appeals to the CAS“said the cited source.
All this happens in the midst of a turbulent climate because the fans invaded the training camp and the social headquarters on Thursday in search of explanations for the terrible present of the team, which occupies 18th place out of 20 teams in it Brazilian. Upon its emergence, this group broke security camerascame to talk with the president, Augusto Melo, there are reports that suggest that The employees were threatened and the military, civil and riot police took part in evacuating the members who were occupying the common areas, according to the statement Globe Sport. Besides, Graffiti with protest messages appeared.
Under this scenario, the verdict came for a more serious claim than it was at the beginning because the debt recognized by the institution at the beginning of 2024 amounted to eight million of the Brazilian currency (more than USD 1,400,000). The defense of Matías Rojas sought to avoid escalating the situation at all times, as stated by lawyer Rafael Botelho: “Even in December, when there was already the possibility of going to FIFA, We approached Corinthians to try to reach an agreement. There was no intention to terminate the contract. Corinthians agreed to renegotiate the debtAt that time, Augusto (Melo) said that he had his word and that he would keep his commitment.”
“Then they paid the first month, as agreed, and delayed payments again in February. I sent notifications, spoke to people at the club until there was no way out and we decided to go to FIFA. Even so, I proposed a solution where they would pay in installments, they responded and did not contact me again,” he said. It is said that the board In that first agreement he committed to pay the full amount of the contract in the face of a new delay, which finally occurred.
Some time ago, Augusto Melo had been optimistic about a favorable definition of the problem before this end: “We have already spoken with Rojas’ lawyer. We want to recover not only the economic part but also the athlete’s part. Nobody forgets to play overnight. Today we are understanding what could have happened to him. No one can work without being paid.” The middle ABC of Paraguay reported that the South American squad had bought his pass in USD 1,800,000 for 80% of their economic rights, after Matías Rojas arrived with the pass in his possession in mid-2023 from Racing.
The attacking midfielder, who is playing in the Copa América with Paraguay, has worn the Corinthians jersey on 30 occasions, in which he provided three assists. In just eight games with Inter Miami, he has scored three goals and provided one assist in Major League Soccer (MLS).
