Joao Jose, Portugal’s captain says goodbye to the national team after 256 caps.
The 37-year-old was calm on the farewell after the 2015 World League Intercontinental Round game with Finland: ”I feel as if something is going away. Something is going to stop existing. Every year if there was anything guaranteed is that when May arrives I would be here. To leave is to take off the shirt, to not sing the Portuguese anthem anymore. It is complicated. I think the time when I really felt I was leaving was when I started singing the anthem. We know that when we take off the national shirt we will stop doing it. It was a decision I thought through carefully. What am I going to miss the most? The people, apart from the pleasure of representing the national team. One of the strong points of our team has always been the team spirit, our will to help each other.”
Jose will continue his club career for 1 more season.
In case you didn’t know, Jose and Portugal finished 8th at the 2002 World Championship and was awarded as the tournament’s Best Blocker – the only major FIVB award given to any player from his country player in the last 13 years.
On behalf of the Volleyball World, we wish you the best Jose!
Thank you for all the great volleyball memories you’ve showed and shared to us!
(images: FIVB)
Declarações do capitão João José após a sua despedida da Selecção #JJ12
Posted by Federação Portuguesa de Voleibol on Sunday, July 5, 2015