MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. Brazil-born defender Mario Fernandes, who plays for the Russian national team and football club CSKA Moscow, puts his career on hold after the 2021/2022 season of the Russian Premier League (RPL), the football club’s press office announced on Wednesday.
"Dear friends! First of all I want to thank God for this wonderful 10 years in Russia. Without His help I wouldn’t have achieved anything here. God blessed me and gave me strength for each training, each game. I praise God for this," the club’s press office quoted Fernandes as saying.
"Also, I’d like to thank our dear fans, who always showed respect and warmth towards me. They always supported me and motivated me either in the moments of joy, or in the tough periods," Fernandes continued. "But lately I feel enormous accumulated fatigue and exhaustion and can no longer give everything I've always given for the good of PFC CSKA in past years."
"After the game against Rostov [football club] I’ll leave for Brazil. My contract would be out on hold," he said.
"However, if after a certain time I understand that I still feel the strength to help PFC CSKA, I will return and continue to play for my home club," the player said. "I want to highlight that I’m not going away from Russia due to the current situation in the world or the tough period for the team."
"I’ve been professional football player for the last 13 years, 10 of them I spent at PFC CSKA. Now the time has come to spend more time with the family," Fernandes said.
"Moreover, as you may know, we’re waiting for the baby this September. But I still want to follow PFC CSKA and stay closely to the club," the Brazilian player added.
"I met with the club President Yevgeny Giner and the General Director Roman Babayev, explained them everything that was on my mind and asked them to allow me to spend some time with my family in Brazil. I’m very grateful to them for accepting my position and letting me go. They treated me like a son," the statement quoted Fernandes as saying.
Playing for Russia’s CSKA Moscow PFC he booked 10 goals, 46 assists in 328 match appearances for the club.
Fernandes, 31, was granted Russian citizenship in 2016. He booked five goals and three assists in his 33-match appearances for the Russian national football team, which he joined in 2017. He played for Russia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.