Gabigol’s father backs striker as Cruzeiro future remains uncertain | OneFootball

The topic of “Gabigol” remains a hot issue behind the scenes at Cruzeiro. After Raposa’s elimination in the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil, against Corinthians, when the striker missed the decisive penalty kick, Gabigol’s name has now been further highlighted by an episode outside the club.

After the final of the Intercontinental Club Cup, where Flamengo and PSG drew 1-1 in regular time and the decision went to penalties, four players from the Rio de Janeiro team missed their penalty kicks, and the title went to the French side.

In light of this scenario, Valdemir Silva, Gabriel Barbosa’s father, spoke out in defense of his son through social media. In a published text, he called on fans and journalists to reflect on the conclusions that are often drawn when a player misses a penalty in a shootout. “(…) I saw four players miss penalties in a row, was it their mistake or the goalkeeper’s merit… Will they be ridiculed, will they be crucified, will their character be doubted?” he wrote.

Still in the post, Valdemir emphasized that football, by its very nature, tends to create heroes and villains out of memorable moments: “in football there are always heroes and villains”, he added, in reference to the moment the number 9 of Raposa is going through.

This public defense comes at a time of uncertainty for Gabriel Barbosa at Cruzeiro. In addition to the missed penalty in the Copa do Brasil, the striker will now have Tite as his new coach, with whom he has already had public disagreements during his career. The coach was recently announced as the new manager of Raposa, which has increased doubts about the future of the number 9 at the club.

Signed with a contract until 2028, Gabigol remains one of the main question marks in Cruzeiro’s squad for 2026. The striker has attracted interest from Santos and other Brazilian clubs, and a decision about his stay or departure is expected to be made in the next transfer window.

Check out the full post from Gabriel Barbosa’s father:

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