The defender of the army team suspends his playing career.
Super Mario played 328 matches for PFC CSKA, scored 10 goals, won three championships as part of the red and blue team, became the owner of the Russian Cup and a three-time winner of the Russian Super Cup.
Fernandez explained in detail why he decided to put his career on hold:
– Dear friends! First of all, I would like to thank the Lord for these wonderful 10 years spent in Russia. Without His help, I would not have been able to achieve anything here. The Lord gave me strength for every workout, every game and thank Him for that. I would also like to thank all our beloved fans for their great respect for me and the warmth they have always given me. They always supported and gave me additional incentives and motivation to work in both joyful and difficult moments of our army life.
But lately I have been feeling a colossal accumulated fatigue and great exhaustion, and I can no longer give everything that I always gave for the benefit of PFC CSKA in past years. I have been playing football professionally for 13 years now, of which I spent 10 years at PFC CSKA. It’s time to be with family. Besides, as you probably already know, this year we will have a son. But I want to be close to PFC CSKA and will follow his progress. I met with the president of the club Evgeny Lennorovich Giner and the general director Roman Yuryevich Babaev, explained to them everything that was on my mind and asked them to allow me to spend some time with my family in Brazil. I am very grateful to them for the fact that they treated my request with understanding and agreed to let me go, communicating with me as with a son.
After the match with Rostov, I fly to Brazil. My contract will be suspended. At the same time, if after a certain time I realize that I still feel the strength to help PFC CSKA, I will return and continue to play for my native club. I would especially like to draw everyone’s attention to the fact that I am leaving Russia not because of recent events in the world and not because of a difficult period in the life of the team. I have always helped and will help our club in every way I can. I thank the Lord for everything He has done for me by bringing me to Russia, to PFC CSKA. Our club will always be in my heart! CSKA WILL ALWAYS BE FIRST!
– Of course, this is a serious loss for the club, but we could not but respond to Mario’s request. Fernandez gave his all to the team for more than 10 years, not sparing his health, twice extended the contract. We managed to convince Mario not to hurry with the final decision on retirement and agree on a suspension of the contract. I emphasize that we hope that after a short rest, Mario will miss football, our family and return home. Nevertheless, the club will do everything necessary to strengthen the position of the right-back, – commented on the suspension of the contract, the general director of PFC CSKA Roman Babayev.
We invite fans to the stadium for the match against Rostov to say “thank you” to Mario for the past years!