Goodbye Marcos Evangelista de Moraes (Cafu) and Sérgio Cláudio dos Santos (Serginho)!

Seaneh · 18-05-2008 07:44PM #1

Cafu:
The arch-typical wingback.

As good defending as attacking, true Legend of the modern game.

He was one of the only players still playing you could say was possibly the best to ever play in their position.

Won every trophy he ever played in, two world cups, several calico's, 2 Champions League medals, TIM cup medals, World club cup, Copa America, EURO Super Cup, Italian Super Cup, Berlusconi Trophy.

I'll miss the old bugger.

Serginho:
Il Concorde

Such a good servent to the club, played just about every pisition
Amazing work rate, at his peak he was possibly the fastest player in the world with ball at feet.

When he signed in 1999 I was amazed with his sheer ball carrying ability and nose for a good crossing/passing position.

Will always be fondly remembered by Rossonero everywhere.
A true Rossonero tifozi hero!

I wish both luck in their retirement!

I really hope Milan keep Serginho around as a club ambassador like Leonardo.

Seaneh · 18-05-2008 07:47PM

Offiicial statements on acmilan.com

Serginho
"After my back problem which I sustained two years ago I wasn't able to get back to my old level, so I think it's time to say goodbye. I arrived at Milan in the summer of 1999 along with Gattuso and Shevchenko, I was 27, nine splendid years have gone by and I have to thank the club, the fans for the great environment which has welcomed me here. In Milan I have also been part of a Brazilian colony, which was wonderful.
In these two years I have suffered because my back prevented me from expressing myself at my level, I tried in every way, but I didn't find a solution. Now that I'm 36, I have decided to accept this problem and quit, because before I never had any serious injuries.

I thank Milan for what they have done in these nine years, I always gave my all and dedicated myself to this shirt. Also Silvio Berlusconi showed me his esteem and that gives me great pleasure because it's not easy to satisfy such a demanding person.

I came to Milan with the aim of completing a mission, I feel today it has been carried out and I calmly accept that my career is over. Sunday will be a difficult moment for me because San Siro has become a home for me and all the fans have always shown their closeness to the team. Saying goodbye is always hard, but personally I am calm and satisfied with what I've done for this team. I leave with the knowledge that I have given 100% of myself, and since today I am unable to give that 100% anymore, I think the most intelligent decision is to leave."

Cafu
"Five years ago I chose to come to Milan because I knew that it was a serious and important club, where here I could have proven everything I had previously learnt in my football past. I lived five marvellous years in which I managed to win everything. It will remain to me an unforgettable memory. When I arrived in the summer of 2003, Milan had just won the Champions League in the Manchester final and today Milan is still for the next few days European Champion following the Athens final. With Milan we won many titles. In these five years we also became World Champions and Italian champions. I think that inside me this happiness,
for all the titles I won here together with my team-mates, will remain. The moment to leave has arrived. It’s sad and tough, but I knew that sooner or later the time to return home would have arrived, to return to Brazil to my family. My children have been fine here in Italy, especially in Milan.

"When I arrived at Milan I found coach Carlo Ancelotti who also he knew the Roma environment. In the first game at Rome, there was the curiosity to see the reaction towards me of the Giallorossi fans. In Rome I spent six marvellous years, I won the league title and what I will hold both from the Roma and Rossoneri fans is surely a wonderful memory."

"I have arrived at the moment to say goodbye. I don’t know whether I will play when I go back to Brazil. Sunday will be my last game, I don't know if the coach will allow me to play, but I will be ready for this important game which will not be just my farewell game, but also an important game for Milan. Carlo Ancelotti can count on me on all fronts. It will not be easy saying goodbye to the fans who have welcomed me in a fantastic way, so I hope not to have disappointed anyone. I will still continue to side
for Milan.

"In my career I won thirty-two titles. It's surely a nice satisfaction both from the personal as well as the professional point of view. This means that my career has been victorious. I won everything and I’m really happy."

Seaneh · 18-05-2008 07:53PM

Looks like my wish was granted!

Galliani:
"Sergio and Cafu will stay close to us. Serginho will become an observer in Brazil, starting from July. Also Cafu will stay close to us in a sense, because his son will continue playing here, in the Primavera or the Beretti team. He will return to San Paolo and perhaps continue playing there. It will be hard to find two full backs like them, Serginho and Cafu are the best. It's too bad, we are losing players who have made history for us. I will miss the verve and the smile of Cafu, the runs and the crosses by Serginho. I hope one day we will have new players who can make me forget about these two."

eZe^ · 18-05-2008 08:01PM

Legends, hope everything goes well for them in later years.

Seaneh · 18-05-2008 08:05PM

Serginho only ever got 10 Brazil caps...

That's mad ted.

eZe^ · 18-05-2008 08:07PM

He did have Roberto Carlos to compete with..

Seaneh · 18-05-2008 08:08PM

Yeah, good point...

haha.

Chong · 18-05-2008 08:09PM

Deserved for Cafu, Legend.

Serginho meh! Good Luck.

Seaneh · 18-05-2008 08:13PM

Cruijff wrote: »

Deserved for Cafu, Legend.

Serginho meh! Good Luck.

I'm not saying Serginho is an alltime legend, I know he was just a good player.

But at Milan he was a serious fans favourite and a great servant to the club.
Like say Skolskjar at United, hardly world class, but jesus he didn't half try his hardest everytime he stepped onto the pitch.

Chong · 18-05-2008 08:29PM

Seaneh wrote: »

I'm not saying Serginho is an alltime legend, I know he was just a good player.

But at Milan he was a serious fans favourite and a great servant to the club.
Like say Skolskjar at United, hardly world class, but jesus he didn't half try his hardest everytime he stepped onto the pitch.

Cool never knew that, fair play then so.

Remind me Seaneh, is Maldini done now aswell?

Seaneh · 18-05-2008 08:32PM

Nothing being announced untill monday.

He has said that he might play on.

I really hope he does.

I was ment to be at the interl game but I got knocked down like 7 weeks ago and outside the IT and had to cancle the flights

I really want to see him play live just one more time!

the two legs against Arsenal proved he still has it IMO.
Not as a starter but as a damned good squad player and it can only be a positive to have someone like him around the younger members of the squad, how could you not learn from him?

pickarooney · 18-05-2008 10:03PM

It says enough about Serginho that he still managed to make an impact at a club where his favourite position was taken by the world's greatest ever left-back (with respect to Roberto Carlos). And though I'm no fan of Milan, I think Cafu is one of a handful of players that it is impossible to dislike. Thirty-two titles!

tdv · 18-05-2008 10:21PM

Serginho at his peak was fecking amazing. The speed he could run with the ball was unreal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQF8Dw4Yg8c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZLr2Z7j5Ps

heres some videos I found of Serginho for those you who arent familuar with him.

Cafu is the greatest right back ever. My favourite all time player. Running up & down that right hand flank a man possesed & he crossed the ball to perfection. No bull**** out of him gave 100% every game & always had a big smile on his face.

What a depressing year. First Costcacurta gets old & rertires & now these 2. Whats next Maldini retiring? :eek: Football jutst wont be the same anymore without these guys.

eZe^ · 18-05-2008 10:28PM

From a Milan forum;

We'll miss their personality. Sergio was always the man ready with jokes, while Cafu had always a smile in his face.

Apart from the unforgettable games they played, i will remember a couple of episodes that are still vivid in my mind:

1) Serginho: in Japan the last December, during our training sessions, there was a large crowd of Japanese fans watching the trainings. Sergio at the end of one training session started to joke with them, and told them to catch the ball he was about to throw on the rows. Every time he tried to kick the ball on the rows, the ball just bounced on the top of protections and got back into the field. Sergio did that on purpose, just to make them more excited and to have fun. He did that a few times, every time hitting the protections and getting the ball back. It is the perfect image of Sergio in our dressing room..

2) Cafu : after our Scudetto in 2004, Marcos was filmed in the dressing room dancing on a table and singing "One capitano, there's only one capitano". I was impressed by Cafu, because he must be a very humble person. He was the Brazil captain in charge, and nonetheless was taking Maldini in triumph as "the only capitano".

This guys teach us one lesson: you can do whatever you want on the market, and replace Serginho and Cafu as players. You can even replace them with better footballers. But what makes a winning team are also the human resources, which are unreplaceable by definition, cause every human being is different. What you can't do is replacing their personality. That's why they will be sorely missed.

jesus_thats_gre · 18-05-2008 11:36PM

Great players but Milan should have got rid of players of this age a long time ago..

LuckyLloyd · 18-05-2008 11:56PM

Goodbye Marcos Evangelista de Moraes (Cafu) and Sérgio Cláudio dos Santos (Serginho)!

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