Philippe Coutinho has made an emotional statement after leaving Brazilian club Vasco da Gama for the second time in his career.
The ex-Liverpool star returned to his boyhood club in July 2024, initially on loan from Aston Villa before making a permanent move a year later.
3
Coutinho scored 17 goals in his second stint and assisted seven more in 81 appearances in all competitions.
However, the 33-year-old has announced his decision to leave the Rio de Janeiro-based club after being booed by fans in their final game.
He was substituted at halftime in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Volta Redonda and was not on the bench, according to ESPN.
“I thought long and hard about this before writing this. I really did,” he said on Instagram, translated from Portuguese. “But because of the respect, affection and love that I have for you and this club, I felt that I had to come here and speak from the heart.”
“I decided to return to Vasco because I love this club. I love everything that Vasco represents in my life. Wearing this jersey was one of the most important decisions I have ever made. And in every training session, in every game I gave my best. Always! There has never been a lack of dedication, never a lack of will and commitment.”
“It is extremely difficult to be judged by countless people for something that is not part of my character. I would never disrespect the fans, my teammates or Vasco. I have never done that, wherever I have been. Everyone who knows me knows that.”
“At that moment, on the way to the locker room, I felt and realized that my time at the club was over and I did not return to prioritize my mental health. This hurts a lot.”
“The truth is that I’m very mentally exhausted. I’ve always been very reserved, so it’s not easy to say this, but I have to be honest.”
“My relationship with Vasco is one of love. And it will remain that way forever.”
“It is with a heavy heart that I understand that now is the time to take a step back and close this chapter at Vasco.”
3
“I am grateful for everything I have experienced here. I will carry Vasco with me forever. In my heart. In my story. In my life.”
“From the bottom of my heart… Thank you for everything.”
Coutinho’s career so far
After his breakthrough at the Vasco da Gama academy, Coutinho moved to Italian giants Inter Milan in 2010.
He made 47 appearances and won the Supercoppa Italiana in two and a half seasons before moving to Liverpool FC at the beginning of 2013.
Coutinho became a huge success for the Reds as he scored 54 goals and provided 44 assists in 201 games at Anfield.
The midfielder was both fan and player of the season in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons.
3
Due to a rejected offer from Barcelona, Coutinho submitted a transfer request in August 2017 and ultimately left the club five months later.
He signed with Barca in a £142 million deal, which was at the time the third most expensive transfer of all time.
Coutinho won two LaLiga titles, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana, although his time at the Camp Nou is remembered as a period of struggle for him, as the player was unable to achieve the same form he had shown at Anfield.
He then moved to FC Bayern Munich on loan during his time in Spain.
A move to Villa followed in January 2022, but four years later he is now a free agent.