Goalscoring goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni honoured by retirement send-off
Goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni is hanging up his boots at the age of 42, ending an astonishing spell with Sao Paulo in which he scored 131 goals.
Sao Paulo's record-breaking goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni believes he can look back on his career with fondness after deciding to retire.
Ceni, a free-kick and penalty specialist who scored 131 goals for the Brazilian club, missed the final six Campeonato Brasileiro matches due to injury, but was given a farewell friendly at the Morumbi on Friday.
The 42-year-old was involved in three Club World Cup triumphs, with the team from his 1992 and 1993 titles taking on the 2005 winners for his farewell.
The goalkeeper also won two Copa Libertadores titles and claimed the Brasileiro trophy on three occasions with Sao Paulo and was part of Brazil's World Cup-winning squad in 2002.
Ceni believes those achievements will provide comfort after hanging up his boots and was honoured with the send-off he received.
"I thought it was going to be sadder, but I felt good. I feel very accomplished as an athlete – I look at my past and I'm happy with what I did, the titles," he said.
"The number of Sao Paulo supporters has increased in recent years due to these two generations on the pitch.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
"I would like to dedicate this moment to my mother, who is no longer here, and only say me play once with the shirt of Sao Paulo.
"A night like this is not common in Brazilian football."
‘Scoring in a World Cup is like winning the title – can you imagine millions of people celebrating something you did? It’s insane and made me very proud’: Brazil legend explains how much 2002 goal meant to him
'He already had the ability but didn’t use it because he was afraid to shoot – I said, "You’re a player who has to decide games – you have to take risks, mate"': Liverpool star was forced to become confident by team-mates