- The club’s name pays tribute to the English amateur side Corinthian-Casuals
Lingard is the first England international to play for the São Paulo club
The arrival of Jesse Lingard at Corinthians represents another chapter in the club’s century-long relationship with England. Beyond the name—a tribute to the amateur side Corinthian FC (now Corinthian-Casuals), which currently plays in England’s ninth tier—the club also shares a symbolic bond with the European nation through faith, as both have Saint George as their patron saint.
On the pitch, that historic connection has grown even closer over the past decade. Corinthians and Corinthian-Casuals reunited after nearly 30 years in a friendly match at the Neo Química Arena in January 2015, won 3–0 by the Brazilian side. The game became the narrative thread of the documentary “Brothers in Football – The Story of the Two Corinthians”, directed by Chris Watney, marketing director and former player of Corinthian-Casuals, which explores the relationship between the English amateur club and the São Paulo giant—founded by five workers and now boasting more than 30 million supporters.
“There was no contact between the two clubs when I tried to organize that match in 2015. No one at Casuals had a phone number or email for Corinthians. They didn’t even understand why Brazilian fans would come to the club [in London]. No one realized how special that was,” explained Watney, who also co-authored the book “Corinthian – The Most Beautiful Story in World Football” alongside Brazilian journalist Tomás Rosolino.
The friendly drew a crowd of nearly 26,000 fans at the Neo Química Arena, and its impact on the relationship between the two clubs is still felt today. “There is now a group in London called ‘Fiel Londres’ that functions like an organized supporters’ group. They come to our matches with drums, singing all the Corinthians chants. It’s incredible to have that connection. We even have Corinthians fans living in London who now play for Casuals,” he added.
The Corinthian-Casuals shirt also appears in the promotional video announcing Lingard’s signing for Corinthians. Titled “From the Kingdom to the Favela,” the short film plays with both cultures and even references another moment when England and Corinthians were indirectly linked: the 1999 Club World Cup final, when Manchester United defeated Palmeiras, Corinthians’ arch-rival.
“I don’t think Jesse Lingard fully realizes what he’s stepping into. Playing for Corinthians, with that fanbase, that passion… what a place to be at 33 or 34. It’s going to be truly exciting for him, and I think he’ll realize it after a month or two. We’re all excited for him because we know what Corinthians fans are like,” said Watney.
The director believes Lingard’s arrival will even make it easier to explain in England what Corinthians represents. “Sometimes it’s frustrating for Corinthian-Casuals supporters, because we try to explain what Corinthians Paulista is—a club with 30 million fans, massive in Brazil, with an incredible stadium—and people just don’t understand. So we hope that through Lingard there will be more eyes on Corinthian-Casuals, and that people will get a better sense of the passion we’re always talking about.”
Jesse Lingard is the first England international to play in both the Brasileirão and the CONMEBOL Libertadores. Wearing the No. 77 shirt, he will join Dutch forward Memphis Depay as one of the European representatives in the Corinthians squad.
