Rodiney said goodbye to Olympiacos, our country, and the Greek people. He made one… final stop at “Eleftherios Venizelos” Airport, speaking to Novibet, before traveling to Brazil to join his new team, Santos.
The Brazilian, with his well-known sense of humor, bid everyone farewell with some great one-liners and said that if he could take one player with him, it would be Chiquinho.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
At the same time, he spoke several times about the incredible bond the players had formed among themselves over the years they wore the red-and-white jersey…
On whether he’s leaving… tired: “Tired, yes—in almost four years, I’ve won four titles. I’m tired of winning every year. But that’s okay. I’m happy about the time I spent here in Greece. I tell my friends, ‘Here at this club, we made history.’ Now it’s time for me to leave. It doesn’t sadden me that I’ll be returning to my home country because I’m from Brazil. But Greece will definitely become my second home because I love these people—the Olympiacos fans—and the Greeks in general, because they’ve treated me with great respect over these four years.”
On whether he could now choose a teammate to take with him to Brazil: “If I had to choose one player from Olympiacos right now to come with me on the same flight, I’d choose Tsikinios because he’s my friend. We’ve shared some wonderful moments together. He’s an amazing player and also an amazing friend, whom I’ve had here in Greece ever since I arrived.”
On who plays in a more… “Brazilian” style: “Fortounis has exceptional skill, but in general there are many high-caliber players here. But Fortounis is a different kind of player—he’s one of a kind—and I really love the guy. We’ve had a great time together these past four years. He went to Saudi Arabia and came back to Olympiacos. But Fortu is like a Brazilian player. He’s got a lot of talent, and we became buddies. Now I tell all the guys that what we achieved here at Olympiacos, the history we made… Now it’s not just about me coming to Olympiacos, playing, and leaving. No, we’ve become a family, friends. I have great respect for this place. That’s the most important thing for me.”
*photo source: KYPE
