Former Aston Villa midfielder Philippe Coutinho has explained his reasons for leaving Vasco da Gama
Philippe Coutinho has left Vasco da Gama(Image: Getty Images)View Image
Former Aston Villa midfielder Philippe Coutinho has issued an emotional statement after leaving his boyhood club Vasco da Gama.
The Brazilian side signed Coutinho following his departure from Villa in July last year, but his second spell with the club has now come to an abrupt end.
Coutinho was substituted at half-time after being booed by fans during Vasco’s penalty-shootout win over Volta Redonda last week.
After failing to return to the bench for the second half to watch the remainder of the match, his exit from the club has now been confirmed.
In a lengthy statement on Instagram, the 33-year-old confirmed that "now is the time to take step back".
"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."
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Coutinho signed for Villa initially on loan from Barcelona, who he'd cost £142m, in January 2022.
He then signed permanently for Steven Gerrard the following summer, but his time at Villa as a fully fledged player was a disappointing one which didn't bear much fruit for Villa's investment.
The former Liverpool attacker, who has also spent time at Inter Milan and Bayern Munich in a decorated playing career, was loaned out to Qatar after the appointment of Unai Emery, and then he was loaned to Vasco in the summer of 2024, before joining permanently last year.
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