Philippe Coutinho has announced he is leaving boyhood club Vasco da Gama, saying he is “tired mentally” and that his “cycle at the club has ended.”
The former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder was substituted at half-time after being booed by fans during Vasco’s penalty shootout win over Volta Redonda last week. Coutinho did not return to the bench for the second half.
In a lengthy and emotional statement on Instagram, the 33-year-old, who has 68 caps for Brazil national football team, said the time had come to step away.
“I would never disrespect the fans, my team-mates and Vasco. I’ve never done that anywhere I’ve been. Those who know me know that,” he wrote.
“At that moment, on the way to the locker room, I felt and realised that my cycle at the club had ended, and I didn’t come back to prioritise my mental health.
“It hurts a lot. The truth is that I’m very tired mentally. With a tight heart, I understand that now is the time to take a step back and end this cycle in Vasco.
“I’m grateful for everything I’ve lived here. I’ll take Vasco with me forever. In the chest. In history. In life.”
Coutinho has made 81 appearances and scored 17 goals for Vasco since returning for a second spell in 2024. He began his professional career at Vasco before moving to Inter Milan and later joining Liverpool in 2013.
He scored 54 goals in 201 matches for Liverpool before completing a £142 million move to Barcelona in 2018. He subsequently had spells with Bayern Munich, Aston Villa and Al-Duhail prior to his return to Vasco.
