Alex gives up on returning to Brazilian football and announces his retirement.

Brazilian champion for Santos in 2002 and 2004, with tickets also for clubs of the carats of PSV, Chelsea, PSG and Milan, as well as the Brazilian national team, defender Alex presented this Sunday that he is saying goodbye to the grasses at the end, at 34 of age.

The announcement came amid several rumors of the return of the (now) former defender to Santos, a club that practically designed him for the world of the ball. But the need for a new knee surgery, with estimated recovery time to nine months, made him decide to shorten his career, until then stopped since May without a club:

"I decided, along with my family, to retire. I've been standing still for some time and would have been nine months after the surgery. I felt a lot of pain, I could not bear it anymore, and the injury made it worse, "he told GloboEsporte.

Santos and Alex almost closed deals in the last transfer window, but some disagreements about values ​​became a drag on the defender's return to Vila Belmiro. The sportsman never hid his desire to re-dress Fish's shirt. He joins another former colleague, who also hung his boots this season: the midfield Elano.