Former FC Goa skipper Lucio retires from professional football
World Cup winner and Former Bayern Munich defender Lucimar Ferreira da Silva (Lucio) has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 41.
World Cup winner and former Bayern Munich defender Lucimar Ferreira da Silva (Lucio) has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 41. The Brazilian was FC Goa’s marquee player for the second and third seasons of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) and also led the Gaurs to the final of the Hero ISL 2015.
Lucio’s career spanned over 22 years wherein he played in Brazil, Germany, Italy and India. He was a mainstay in the Brazil national team for years, with 105 appearances at the heart of the defence, scoring four goals in the process. The towering centre back was a crucial member of Brazil’s 2002 FIFA World Cup winning squad, playing every minute of the competition held in in Japan and South Korea. He went on to captain the Selecao from 2006 to 2011.
🇧🇷 #FCBayern legend @l3lucio is hanging up his boots at 41 years of age 👟
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) January 30, 2020
Thank you for the memories, Lúcio! 🔴⚪#MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/lzYTEhvDJR
His notable achievements at the club level include three Bundesliga titles with German giants Bayern Munich, two Serie A titles, first with Inter Milan and then with Juventus, one UEFA Champions League and multiple domestic Cups, both in Germany and Italy. In the 2009-10 season, Lucio was part of the iconic Inter Milan side which bagged a treble - Serie A, UEFA Champions League and Coppa Italia - under Jose Mourinho. He also played for Bayer Leverkusen, where he narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the Champions League in his debut season.
Lucio joined the Hero ISL in 2015 when he signed for FC Goa to play under Brazilian legend Zico and was named the captain. Alongside Martinique powerhouse Gregory Arnolin, Lucio was one of the driving forces behind FC Goa's run to the final. Sadly, however, the Gaurs missed out on the title to Chennaiyin.
His strong performances in his debut Hero ISL season prompted Zico to re-sign his countryman for the 2016 edition, but his second season in India wasn’t quite as fruitful as his first. Lucio made only five appearances as his side finished the campaign at the bottom of the Hero ISL table, winning four and losing eight of the 14 league games that season. After a two-year hiatus, he moved back to Brazil to feature for Sociedade Esportiva do Gama before joining Brasiliense in 2018.
