Paok captain listens to body
© Imago
At the age of 39, Vieirinha gave up his soccer shoes after the season. Not an easy decision for the outer train player and captain of Paok Thessaloniki. “I was afraid of that moment,” said 25 times Portuguese international in a video on his social media channels. “After a trip full of experiences, joy, trophies and pain, it is time to listen to my body. It’s time to withdraw from football.”
Vieirinha’s path, which began in the offspring of FC Porto, led to Paok for the first time at the age of 22. At the beginning of 2012, he moved to VfL Wolfsburg, with which he celebrated the first cup victory in 2015. A year later, Vieirinha became European champion with Portugal, the height and final point of his career in the national team.
After 163 games (seven goals) he left the wolves in 2017 and returned to Paok, for which he still comes to 343 missions (51 goals). With the Greeks he won two championships (2019, 2024) and three trophies (2018, 2019, 2021). In the current season he was only on the pitch 13 times. Vieirinha’s career was also accompanied by numerous injuries such as two cruciate ligament cracks.
“No matter how strong you are, there are times when you break. And this is one of them. The day I stop with football,” Vieyrinha continued. In retrospect, he would not want to change anything. “I would do everything again with the same passion. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love. I will never forget anything.”