"Vasco or nothing": Player issues ultimatum, sets retirement date | OneFootball

An explosive piece of information brought by journalist Bruno Andrade from ESPN shook the foundations of São Januário this Tuesday (16). Midfielder Philippe Coutinho, a major technical reference in the squad, has already defined the next steps of his career and the decision is radical: either he renews with Vasco da Gama, or he retires from the field at 33 years old.

+ “I LOVE VASCO”: Hero of the qualification breaks the silence and puts pressure for renewal

Absolute loyalty to Vasco

The current contract of the “Little Magician” runs until June 2026, but planning for the future has already begun. According to reports, Coutinho has internally informed that he does not consider wearing another jersey. He does not want to hear proposals from rivals, Europe, or the Arab world. For him, football only makes sense if he is defending the Cross of Malta on his chest.

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This stance places the ball on the penalty spot for the Vasco board. If the club chooses not to extend the contract in the future, it will, in practice, be declaring the end of the career of one of its greatest recent idols.

Coutinho has a genuine love for the Giant of the Hill – Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

Decisive meeting after the final

Fortunately for the fans, the feeling is mutual. The management of Vasco has already shown great interest in keeping the player, who is a key piece in Fernando Diniz's scheme. To finalize the decision, a meeting is scheduled right after the final of the Copa do Brasil against Corinthians.

Coutinho's total focus now is to fulfill his greatest dream: to lift a trophy for the club that revealed him. This is what he told VascoTV upon completing 100 games with the cross-maltese jersey:

Now in the final of the Copa do Brasil and with the dream about to be realized, renewal seems to be the natural path for this love story to continue.

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