João Paulo bids farewell to Santos after 14 years: "Forever grateful" | OneFootball

Goalkeeper João Paulo said goodbye to Santos through an emotional message published on his social networks. Loaned by Peixe, the player was announced on Monday by Bahia and signed a contract until June 2026.

João Paulo posted photos of his journey through Santos. In the text, he thanked all the learning during the 14 years of the club and highlighted the pride he felt in defending the Peixe shirt. He also left a special thank you to the Santos fans.

“It was 14 years of Santos Football Club. It's not simple to summarize in words everything I lived, learned and felt during this time. Santos was more than a club: it was my school, my home, the place that formed me as an athlete and as a man. Every training, every game, every overcome difficulty and every victory celebrated marked me forever,” wrote the goalkeeper.

As found by Gazeta Esportiva, to facilitate the negotiation, João Paulo gave up some values and ceded 30% of his economic rights to Santos, which now holds 100% of them.

“To Santos Football Club, my eternal gratitude. To the fans, my respect and affection for each encouragement, each applause and even for the criticisms that made me grow. I carry each memory in my heart, because I know that here I leave a part of my history,” the athlete completed.

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João Paulo was at Santos since 2011, when he still defended the youth categories. He established himself in the professional in 2020 and became one of the big names of the club in recent years.

In 2024, however, he suffered a serious injury during the Serie B of the Brazilian Championship and ended up losing his position. This season, João Paulo also saw Gabriel Brazão become one of the highlights of Santos and played only one official match in the year, in the 3-0 victory over Inter de Limeira, for the Paulista Championship.

All in all, the goalkeeper entered the field 233 times with the black and white shirt.

Check out João Paulo's full farewell note:

“It was 14 years of Santos Football Club. It's not simple to summarize in words everything I lived, learned and felt during this time. Santos was more than a club: it was my school, my home, the place that formed me as an athlete and as a man. Every training, every game, every overcome difficulty and every victory celebrated marked me forever.

They were years of dedication, tears and smiles, sleepless nights and dreams come true. They were years carrying with pride the shirt I always dreamed of wearing, hearing the voice of the fans who never stopped supporting and welcoming me.

To Santos Football Club, my eternal gratitude. To the fans, my respect and affection for each encouragement, each applause and even for the criticisms that made me grow. I carry each memory in my heart, because I know that here I leave a part of my history.

Now I move on to a new challenge, in another giant of Brazilian football. I go with faith, determination and with the certainty that God continues guiding my steps. May this new chapter be full of blessings, achievements and the same dedication I always had.

Thank you, @santosfc. You will always be in my heart”.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.