SOCCER
Striker spent six years at Flamengo and won 13 cups
Published on December 10, 2024 at 1:40 pm
Gabigol in an interview with the Podpah podcast Credit: Reproduction
The end of the Brasileirão also marked Gabigol’s farewell to Flamengo. While his future remains undefined, the player recalled memorable moments he experienced over the last six years. And he guaranteed: he managed to enjoy Rio de Janeiro, even though he was a red-and-black idol.
“Ah, I experienced retro football. Because a lot happens in Rio. I went to the beach, to parties, hidden away. Nobody saw me”, he said, laughing, in an interview with the Podpah podcast. “So I managed to live well in Rio, as a city that I love, and in the biggest team in Brazil”, he added.
Gabigol arrived at Flamengo in January 2019 and won 13 titles, becoming the greatest champion in red and black history alongside Bruno Henrique, Arrascaeta, Zico and Júnior. The number 99 won the Libertadores in two editions (2019 and 2022), the Brazilian Championship (2019 and 2020), the Copa do Brasil (2022 and 2024), the Recopa Sul-Americana (2020), the Supercopa do Brasil (2020 and 2021) and the Campeonato Carioca (2019, 2020, 2021 and 2024).
The striker’s last game with the red-black shirt was against Vitória, in a 2-2 draw at Maracanã, on Sunday (8), in the last round of Series A. In front of a packed stadium, Gabigol took a walk around the field after the final whistle and was greeted by the fans.
“Now I can look back, knowing that I won’t stay there any longer, and say that. I became immortal. And yesterday [domingo] it was a special day. I saw a lot of people crying and people happy. What happened in these six years will be difficult to happen again. (Others) Players will score goals, be champions, but live what I experienced…”, he stated.
