Philippe Coutinho has spoken about his decision to leave Vasco da Gama during his official presentation with Santos, reflecting on his final period with the club.

On Monday, during his official unveiling as Santos' new player, Philippe Coutinho addressed his decision to leave Vasco da Gama. He decided to depart the club on February 14, a Saturday during the Carnival festival, following a semifinal match of the Carioca Championship against Volta Redonda.

Philippe Coutinho said: "In the final few matches at São Januário, I know many people will say 'oh, it was just a little booing,' but everyone there knew that the entire stadium was shouting my name, cursing me, and calling for me to leave. It was very difficult. Even though I know these things happen in football, Vasco has always felt like home to me."

Philippe Coutinho returned to Vasco with a warm reception from fans and made his comeback in July 2024. Since then, his form has been inconsistent, but he continued to receive support from the fans. However, with the team's poor start to 2025, Philippe Coutinho was booed for the first time on February 11 in a home Serie A match that Vasco lost 0-1 to Bahia.

Three days later, Vasco faced Volta Redonda in the Carioca Championship semifinal. This elimination match was held at 8:30 p.m. on February 15 (CEST), with over 8,000 fans at São Januário.

In the first half, Vasco's overall performance was poor, and they trailed 0-1 at halftime. After the referee's whistle for the end of the first half, fans began booing coach Fernando Diniz first, and then Philippe Coutinho was booed as well. During the first half, players like Léo Jardim, Cuesta, and Lucas Piton were also jeered.

In the dressing room, Philippe Coutinho voluntarily requested to be substituted and was in tears. He did not return to the bench for the second half. The next day, Philippe Coutinho asked to terminate his contract with Vasco.

In the second half, without the number 10, Vasco equalized through a goal by Spinelli and eventually advanced to the Carioca Championship final after a penalty shootout.

Philippe Coutinho posted on social media, discussing mental health issues and stating that his time at Vasco had come to an end.

Globo Esporte reported that issues had been developing since late 2024, and people close to Philippe Coutinho frequently discussed the situation. Coach Fernando Diniz was also aware of the issues, but did not expect Philippe Coutinho to leave the team so suddenly.

It is widely believed that Philippe Coutinho's mood deteriorated further after losing the Copa do Brasil final last year. The midfielder was deeply disappointed with the team's second-place finish. At that time, his greatest professional ambition was to return to Vasco and win a championship.

On Monday, Philippe Coutinho confirmed at his Santos presentation that losing the 2024 Copa do Brasil final made his situation at the Rio de Janeiro club increasingly difficult.

Philippe Coutinho said: "During my time at Vasco, we had the opportunity to play in the Copa do Brasil final last year. For me, it was really tough. I wanted to win a championship in Vasco's shirt. I won many championships outside Brazil, but I came back with the idea of winning one and perhaps becoming an idol of the team. Unfortunately, none of that happened.

"I never abandoned Vasco, but I reached my limit. In that situation, I could no longer help the team."

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