An Emotional Farewell for Ex-Culé Paulinho from Football
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The Brazilian midfielder, a beloved figure among Corinthians fans, was surrounded by friends and family as he bid farewell to his football career.
Three months after announcing his retirement from professional football, José Paulo Bezerra, known worldwide as Paulinho, experienced an emotional farewell tribute last weekend. He played his final match on Saturday at the Canindé Stadium in São Paulo, alongside players and friends who shared moments throughout his long career.
Paulinho, a fan favorite at Corinthians who made his mark in American, European, and Asian football, will always be remembered by FC Barcelona fans for his time at Camp Nou. The Brazilian midfielder combined tactical intelligence with exceptional ball control, physical prowess, and a powerful shot, contributing to Barcelona's double in the 2017/18 season. Last October, shortly after announcing his retirement at the age of 36 due to injuries, Paulinho participated in Movistar +, proudly recalling the fond memories of his time at Barça alongside Leo Messi, Luis Suárez, and other Blaugrana stars like Andrés Iniesta, who recently also announced his retirement and sent a farewell message on social media.
On Saturday, Paulinho was the star of the match held at the Portuguesa Stadium, which ended in an exciting 8-8 draw where the former Brazil international (with 55 caps) showcased that he still possesses a sharp eye for goal, netting four times. Surrounded by friends like Thiago Silva and Adriano, he mirrored his days of driving from box to box and finishing with his powerful shooting skills. In total, he scored 13 goals for the 'Canarinha', winning a Confederations Cup and competing in two World Cups (2014 and 2018).
By then, he had already become an idol for Corinthians fans, winning the Brasileirao, Copa Libertadores, and Club World Cup during his first spell (2011-2013). However, Paulinho's journey also took him to Europe (with Lithuanian club Vilnius, Polish club Lodz, and English club Tottenham) before he moved to the then-emerging Chinese Super League with Guangzhou Evergrande (2015-2020). During his first stint until 2017 under Luiz Felipe Scolari, he won six titles (1 Asian Champions League, 2 Super League titles, 1 Cup, and 2 Super Cups) before his adventure at Barça, where he achieved the aforementioned league and cup double in the 2017/18 season, contributing 9 goals and 3 assists in 49 appearances. Upon his return to China, he clinched another Super League title (2019). After a brief spell at Al-Ahli Saudi FC, he concluded his career this past May during his second tenure at Corinthians in a match against Racing from Uruguay.
"Things have always happened naturally in my life," Paulinho explained at the end of the event in an interview with Band. "But I still think about working at Corinthians in management, as a technical coordinator, or director. I believe that the name is less important, but I do have that objective. Corinthians could be a pathway in the future, for sure."
Paulinho asserted he is ready for this challenge, stating, "I have been preparing for three years to carry out this role at Mirasol, and it would be a great pride to fulfill this position." His final message to young footballers and his children, who participated in the tribute at the Canindé Stadium, was: "Be authentic, honest, loyal to people, and study. I didn’t achieve this, and it’s one of the mistakes of my life, as well as working hard."