June 28, (THEWILL) – Veteran midfielder for Manchester City, Fernandinho, has returned to his birthplace, Brazil and his old team, Athletico Paranaense, ending a nine-year, trophy-filled tenure with the English Premier League champions.
As THEWILL previously reported, Fernandinho revealed that he was going to leave City at the end of June on a free transfer. It was a revelation that caught even City manager, Pep Guardiola, off guard.
In that April announcement, the 37-year-old said that he had decided to move back home: “Yes, I want to play. I will go back to Brazil, for sure. I’ve decided with my family, it’s the most important for me.”
The club veteran turned down a coaching position with the Cityzens in favour of continuing his playing career, where it all started. He left Athletico Paranaense, where he made 72 appearances, for Shakhtar Donetsk, back in 2005 and is going back in 2022, after agreeing to a two-year deal with the Curitiba club.
The former Brazil international had reverted to playing only minor roles at the Etihad Stadium with time and following Rodri’s arrival from Atletico Madrid in 2019, he eventually lost his usual starting position on the team. He leaves City with five EPL titles, an FA Cup and numerous EFL Cup victories to his credit.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
