Vasco veteran loses his place, won’t stay for 2026 | OneFootball

The midfielder Paulinho, one of the pillars of Vasco in the 2023 campaign, is currently in complete ostracism at São Januário. Although he returned to the field last Sunday (16), after nearly two months, his use for just a few minutes only highlighted his current status: that of the last option for the midfield of Fernando Diniz. With his contract nearing its end, his departure is seen as inevitable.

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Athlete was almost two months without playing

The lack of prestige of the player with the coaching staff was clear in the draw with Ceará. Even with the team needing changes in the midfield, Diniz preferred to improvise the forward Nuno Moreira in the role instead of using Paulinho. The midfielder only entered at 41 minutes of the second half, at a time when the team already had several absences in the sector.

Before that, his last match for Vasco was on July 22. During this period, he sat on the bench in eight consecutive games.

Paulinho was a key piece in 2023 - Photo: Thiago Ribeiro/Agif/Gazeta Press

Serious injury in 2024 was the turning point

The trajectory of Paulinho at Vasco changed drastically after the serious injury he suffered at the beginning of 2024. The rupture of the knee ligament kept him off the fields for 10 months. Since his return, he has not been able to regain the physical and technical form that made him an absolute starter and hero of the stay in Serie A in 2023, when he scored a decisive goal in the last round.

With the contract ending in December of this year and without space in the planning of Fernando Diniz, the natural tendency is that Paulinho's contract will not be renewed. The cycle of a player who was fundamental for the club in the recent past, therefore, is approaching a melancholic and silent end.

At the end of the line at Vasco, Paulinho returns to play after almost two months - Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.