Why Philippe Coutinho asked to leave Vasco and what comes next for the ex-Liverpool man

Philippe Coutinho’s dream homecoming to Vasco da Gama has ended in a contract termination request, leaving the 33-year-old’s future shrouded in uncertainty only months after he was billed as the club’s returning hero.

The former Liverpool playmaker re-joined the Rio giants in 2024 hoping to rekindle the form that once made him the Premier League’s most coveted creator. Instead, a bruising 2025 campaign, fan backlash and a crushing Copa do Brasil final defeat have combined to push Coutinho toward the exit door.

“Coutinho returned to Vasco amid big expectations, and he could have crowned his comeback with a Copa do Brasil trophy last year,” Brazilian journalist Filipe Guedes told HITC. “Vasco didn’t have a good season [in 2025], but the title would have overshadowed all of that. However, they were defeated at home in the final and the mood completely shifted. Their struggles turned into pressure heading into 2026.”

That pressure only intensified. Despite being named club captain and carrying the squad’s biggest salary, Coutinho never rediscovered the consistency that characterised his Anfield peak. Vasco invested heavily around him, yet results stagnated. When the team was booed during a regional championship clash with Volta Redonda, Coutinho was substituted early and subsequently refused to retake his place on the bench. Days later he asked for his contract to be ripped up.

In a brief statement announcing his decision, the midfielder cited the toll the ordeal had taken on his mental health, a revelation Guedes believes has cemented a growing perception among Brazilian supporters that the star lacks the fortitude expected of a marquee signing.

“Coutinho’s situation at Vasco was a divisive subject among the supporters. Many wanted him to stay, but it’s fair to say that most are disappointed with him now, as they feel he gave up. He has been seen as someone mentally fragile by most Brazilian football fans,” Guedes explained.

The statistics underline the gulf between expectation and delivery. While Coutinho’s raw numbers were respectable, context is everything: Neymar, perpetually under scrutiny for his own output, logged 15 goals and assists in fewer than half of Coutinho’s minutes during the same stretch.

European heavyweights are unlikely to gamble on a revival. “I don’t think he’s capable of playing in Europe, at least when it comes to the top leagues,” Guedes added. “Coutinho was the second-biggest Brazilian star of his generation, only behind Neymar, so he was expected to have a big impact and he failed to deliver on those expectations.”

Major League Soccer, long mooted as a potential landing spot, now appears the most plausible destination, with LA Galaxy repeatedly linked. Wherever he surfaces next, the onus will be on the erstwhile ‘Little Magician’ to prove that his career still has one last spell of creativity to cast.