It was a career that was going well, but it suffered a shocking downturn. Philippe Coutinho (31), a former Brazilian genius star, will appear on the Middle East stage.안전놀이터
Qatar club Al Duhail announced the news of Coutinho’s one-year signing transfer through social media on the 9th (Korean time). He was given jersey number 9. Al-Duhail said, “We have decided to loan Coutinho, the star of the Brazilian national team and Aston Villa (England), for one season. Coutinho has had a successful career in his previous professional career. Joining the squad ahead of the Asian Champions League will be a great help. “I expected it.”
Rumors of Coutinho’s transfer to the Middle East continued to circulate. There were many expectations that he would move to ‘Legend’ Steven Gerrard Al-IT Park (Saudi Arabia), with whom he once played at Liverpool, but his next destination was Al Duhail, the team that won the Qatar League last season. Al Duhail is led by coach Hernán Crespo, a legendary Argentine striker. Having a meal together with Korean national team fullback Kim Moon-hwan.
Previously, Coutinho was one of the leading stars of the European big leagues. He played for Inter Milan (Italy), Liverpool (England), Barcelona (Spain), and Aston Villa (England).
In particular, his peak season at Liverpool was from 2013 to 2018. He surpassed Liverpool’s ace as the league’s top star, scoring 13 goals and 7 assists in 31 league games in the 2016-2017 season. He showed off his brilliant individual skills and impactful play.
In recognition of his performance, Coutinho moved to the prestigious Spanish club Barcelona in 2018 for a transfer fee of 150 million euros (about 215 billion won). But after that, his grades dropped sharply. Coutinho’s slump continued, and more harsh criticism poured in due to his exorbitant transfer fee. He moved to Munich on loan in 2019, but showed no clear signs of revival.
Coutinho, who eventually had no place in Barcelona, moved on loan to Aston Villa, where manager Gerrard was in charge at the time, in January last year. Perhaps because he let go of his burden, Coutinho showed good form. He appeared in 19 games in the second half of the league, scoring 5 goals and 3 assists. Thanks to this, he succeeded in a complete transfer. He recorded a transfer fee of 20 million euros (about 28 billion won).
Philippe Coutinho (left) and Steven Gerrard (center) during their Liverpool days. /AFPBBNews=News1
Philippe Coutinho (left) and Steven Gerrard met as manager and player at Aston Villa. /AFPBBNews=News1
However, this was a flashy performance in one season. Coutinho fell into slump once again. Last season, Coutinho only scored one goal in 20 league games. There were injuries, and Coach Gerrard was sacked midway through the season due to poor performance, making the season even more difficult. He appeared in two games as a substitute this season as well, but had no offensive points.
In the end, Coutinho chose to move on loan to Qatar.