Ricardo Pessoa's history with Portimonense is written over 12 seasons. During this period, the emblematic captain lived the best and the worst. In total, he played over 400 games with the Algarve emblem on his chest. This Sunday, May 13th, it all comes to an end.
The announcement came from the player's own mouth: the game against Paços de Ferreira for the last round of the I League, scheduled for 18:00 today, will be Ricardo Pessoa's last as a football professional.
“It's a difficult time, but this will be my last game in my career as a player. It was a decision considered together with the family and communicated to SAD and the technical team. It's a moment I don't want to look at with sadness, but as a day of joy and happiness», said the player, at the press conference previewing the game with Paços.
It was in the distant period of 2005/2006 that Ricardo Pessoa arrived at Portimonense, coming from Vitória de Setúbal. While working for the Sado club, despite being little used, he had already played in the I League, in addition to having achieved a notable achievement.
The right defender was part of the Setúbal team that won the Portugal Cup against Benfica de Trapatoni, in 2004/2005.
Pessoa arrived at Portimonense to compete in the II Liga and, early on, he took the place. In the service of the Algarve team, he went through many seasons until his first great joy: rising in the division, in 2009/2010.
In the following season, he returned to play in the top level of Portuguese football, but quickly returned to the II League, as Portimonense would drop out of division in 2010/2011.
But Pessoa stayed, stayed and stayed. He saw “his” Portimonense almost relegated to Division II B, but remained at the club (except for the 2012/2013 season, when he played, on loan, at Moreirense). He returned to Portimão, after that year, to be happy again in the service of the Algarve.
Ricardo Pessoa became champion of the II League last season and, as captain, had the right to lift the trophy. Back in the I League, the right-back started this season as the undisputed starter, but a serious injury kept him off the pitch for several months.
This injury would even end up being one of the «factors that led me to end my career», confessed Ricardo Pessoa, in the farewell announcement.
In the Portimonense bathhouse, «no one was expecting» this captain's decision. «I caught everyone by surprise. This is where I settled. I grew up a lot, achieved a lot of things and created a love relationship with this club», concluded the player.
Today, in front of his fans, Pessoa says goodbye to the pitches, but not to “his” club (almost) always. It is already certain that the player, born in Vendas Novas, will integrate the structure of the SAD of the Algarve club, but the position, that one, «is not settled yet».
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