Coutinho terminates "Vasco da Gama" contract after being booed by fans

Coutinho has terminated his contract with "Vasco da Gama" prematurely after being booed by fans.

The Brazilian club "Vasco da Gama" announced on its social media account that midfielder Philippe Coutinho's contract had been terminated prematurely at the player's request.

According to Lent.az, citing foreign media, the athlete moved to Vasco de Gama on loan from England's Aston Villa in July 2024 and joined the Brazilian club as a free agent after his contract with the club expired.

The club said in a statement: "Our club announces that Philippe Coutinho contacted Vasco da Gama to express his desire to terminate his contract early, which was due to expire in the middle of the year. After respectful and transparent dialogue, the parties reached a mutually acceptable agreement to terminate the contract."

Last Sunday, during the first half of the Brazilian championship game against Volta Redonda, fans booed Coutinho. The coach replaced him at halftime, after which he did not return to the substitutes.

On Thursday, Coutinho addressed the fans in an Instagram post: "I would never disrespect the fans, my teammates or Vasco. At that moment, while heading to the locker room, I felt and understood that my time at the club was over, and I decided not to return to the substitutes to prioritize and take care of my mental health. This is very painful. The truth is that I am very tired mentally. My relationship with Vasco is a love affair. And it will last forever. It is with a heavy heart that I understand that now is the time to take a step back and end my time at the club."

33-year-old Coutinho is a product of the Vasco da Gama youth system. During his career, he defended the honor of Italy's Inter, Spain's Espanyol and Barcelona, England's Liverpool, Germany's Bayern and Qatar's Al-Duhail. He won the Copa America with the Brazilian national team.