FK Liepāja have announced the departure of Brazilian forward Dodo, bringing an end to a seven-and-a-half-year spell that saw him become the club’s all-time leader in both appearances and goals.
The veteran 38-year-old striker joined Liepāja in 2019 and went on to make a record 200 appearances for the club, scoring 74 goals, also a club record. Despite his status in Liepāja, Dodo did not feature this season after not being registered for the club’s Virslīga squad.
During his time at the club, Dodo played a key role in some of Liepāja’s most memorable recent achievements. He scored the extra-time winner in the 2020 Latvian Cup final against FK Ventspils as Liepāja lifted the trophy with a 1-0 victory. The Brazilian also claimed the Virslīga Golden Boot in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, scoring 18 goals in 24 league matches.
According to Baltic Football News sources, Dodo is set to remain in the Latvian top flight and join Liepāja’s regional rivals FK Grobiņa.
Before arriving in Latvia, Dodo played for several clubs across Europe, including Inter Zaprešić, Lokomotiva Zagreb and Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, as well as spells in Azerbaijan, Greece and his native Brazil.
Liepāja will return to Virslīga action after the international break on Saturday when they host SK Super Nova. The match is expected to be the first official game under new head coach Vladimir Vassiljev.
Source: FK Liepāja/Facebook
