August 19 – Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Willian has quit Corinthians following a deluge of threats on social media.
The star player had a disappointing spell in North London before he returned to his home country, but he has now ripped up his contract which ran until the next year after claiming he and his family received death threats on social media.
“Whenever Corinthians lost and I didn’t play well, my family received threats and insults on social media. My wife, my children, recently they also started attacking my father, my sister,” Willian told Brazilian media.
“It happened to my wife, my daughter, and after a while, they started attacking my father and my sister.
“I didn’t come to Brazil to be threatened or to have my family threatened. It caused a big impact and a mental cost, especially on my daughters.”
“Willian asked us for his (contract) termination. We are sad not to have him anymore and also because it didn’t go the way we expected. But we have to keep those here that are happy,” said club president Duilio Monteiro Alves.
Willian said he doesn’t want to play for another Brazilian club and is looking for a return to Europe, with media reports linking him to London club Fulham.
“The situation is becoming normalised,” said Willian of fan behaviour in Brazil, “and aggressions are being romanticised.”
In Brazil, fans routinely abuse players. Teams and players have even been physically attacked, often by their own supporters, at airports or at training grounds.
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