Former Brazil international Juninho Pernambucano has announced he is retiring from football.
The 39 year-old, who was capped 40 times by the Seleção, confirmed his decision on Vasco da Gama’s official website.
“This decision was not easy, but I was no longer able to continue," he said, as reported by FIFA.com.
“My body was no longer up to training and I could not apply myself as before. It is time to stop.
“I am very emotional. This is where I developed into a complete player and I made great friends here and experienced great moments.
“I"m retiring and do not know what I"ll do going forward, but of course I will always follow the games of Vasco. I thank all the fans for their affection."
Juninho had three spells throughout his career with Vasco. His most notable was between 1995 and 2001, where he was part of the sides that won the 1998 Copa Libertadores and two Brasileirão’s [1997 and 2000].
In Europe, Juninho is best known for his time with Lyon. The free-kick specialist spent eight seasons with the Ligue 1 club, winning the title in seven of them.
