Gil leaves Santos, future uncertain: "Time to rethink things" | OneFootball

The defender Gil bid farewell to Santos with a message on social media. Last Wednesday, the defender terminated his contract with the Peixe. The termination of the contract has even been recorded in the CBF's Daily Information Bulletin (BID).

“I lived everything intensely and always gave my best every day. A giant club, which I was able to help return to Serie A, we almost won a title and gave the fans back the pride of being a Santos supporter. There is still much ahead, but I will be cheering for it to continue rebuilding,” wrote the defender.

Gil joined Santos at the beginning of 2024 and was a key player throughout the Serie B of the Brazilian Championship. This year, however, the number 4 barely played. In total, he has 66 appearances for the alvinegra team and one goal.

After saying goodbye to Santos, the defender did not give any hints about his next career steps and left his future open. He had a contract with the club from Baixada Santista until the end of this year.

“Grateful to everyone who was with me during this period, but it's time to breathe and rethink some things. Soon I intend to talk a little more about my future. At the moment, I can only thank for everything,” concluded the defender in the post.

With the dismissal of Cleber Xavier and the hiring of Vojvoda, Peixe is restructuring the squad. The club signed two defenders in this window: Adonis Frías and Alexis Duarte.

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A Year of Ups and Downs

Gil considered retiring at the end of 2024. The idea of hanging up his boots at the end of Serie B was discussed throughout last year. The 37-year-old athlete, however, ended the season on a high note and happy with the title. Amid this scenario, he agreed to a contract renewal until the end of 2025.

The change in the Santos coaching staff, however, caused a shift in Gil's situation at Santos. The number 4 was left out of coach Pedro Caixinha's plans, who believed the defender would not fit his style of play. He was not even included in the squad for the first four matches of the team in 2025.

At the start of the Paulista Championship, however, Santos struggled a lot in the defensive sector. Thus, Caixinha, under pressure from the fans, decided to give Gil a chance, who played his first match of the year in the seventh round of the State Championship. Subsequently, the experienced defender responded with good performances and began to establish himself in the starting lineup.

Thus, Gil managed to complete a sequence of 12 games as a starter for Santos. However, with the arrival of Cléber Xavier, the defender lost space again and played only two matches in the last three months.

Gil in action in his last game for Santos (Photo: Raul Baretta/ Santos FC)

See Gil's full farewell:

“Thank you, Santos FC!!!

It was 18 months wearing and representing this club that has the honor of having created the greatest of all time.

I can only thank for the coexistence and affection with all the employees, club professionals, management, teammates, and fans.

I lived everything intensely and always gave my best every day. A giant club, which I was able to help return to Serie A, we almost won a title and gave the fans back the pride of being a Santos supporter. There is still much ahead, but I will be cheering for it to continue rebuilding.

Grateful to everyone who was with me during this period, but it's time to breathe and rethink some things. Soon I intend to talk a little more about my future. At the moment, I can only thank for everything“.

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