Vegetti’s Vasco journey from survival to stardom ends with Cerro Porteño move | OneFootball

Vegetti’s spell at Vasco traced a path from relegation peril to leading marksman, and now to farewell. According to Globo.com, the 37-year-old has left for Cerro Porteño on a three-year deal, the club granting an amicable release.

Signed in 2023 after a prolific season in Argentina, he was announced on a Friday, arrived on Saturday and debuted on Sunday, heading the winner against Grêmio to end a month without victory. He finished that year with 10 goals in 21 games, central to dodging the drop.

He bonded quickly with fans, his pirate celebration echoed around São Januário and social media filled with clips of the No 99 set to funk and upbeat tracks. Off the pitch, he was a vocal reference point, often delivering the stern or motivational words the dressing room needed.

In 2024, Vasco were inconsistent in the league, finishing 10th, though a cup run ended in the Copa do Brasil semi-final against Atlético-MG. Vegetti shone in that competition, decisive against Athletico-PR in the quarter-finals and finishing top scorer with seven goals.

Contract renewal talks stretched into early 2025, with initial salary demands above R$ one million before a compromise led to a deal through 2026. He began the season scoring regularly, then, after Fernando Diniz arrived and favoured a more mobile front line, became the 12th man, accepting the role without complaint.

He departs as Vasco’s second-highest foreign scorer, 60 goals in 140 games, behind Villadoniga. Last year he finished as Brazil’s leading scorer with 27, and the club’s rise culminated in Copa do Brasil runners-up to Corinthians, with Vegetti sealing progression in a decisive clássico against Fluminense.

Source: Globo.com