Sporting did not renew, Girão decides to end his career

Goalkeeper Ângelo Girão ended his roller hockey career at the age of 35 because Sporting did not want to renew his contract, bringing forward a decision that had been well planned for some time.

“I am ending my career because they didn’t renew my contract. My idea was to continue playing for Sporting, I didn’t end it just because I wanted to. I wanted to stay involved with Sporting, but that wasn’t possible. It happens to everyone, it’s part of the world of sport and I accept it without any problem. It’s a cycle that ends and another that begins”, explained Ângelo Girão, in an interview with Lusa.

After 11 seasons at the service of the 'lions', Ângelo Girão said goodbye after the elimination in the semi-finals of the championship, against FC Porto, at Pavilhão João Rocha, in Lisbon, although he expected to “play for another two or three years”.

"I couldn't continue at this club, for which I gave so much and wanted so much to reach the top. I had some offers and it's been a really fun few days in that regard, but at the moment I have my life outside of hockey here in Lisbon", he explained, highlighting that, for now, he will be away from the sport.

Owner of an investment company, another in real estate and a daycare, Ângelo Girão will dedicate himself to the business side, which is “going very well” and in which he foresees “a good future, with a lot of work”, without clinging to the past.

“Roller hockey will have to take a back seat, much to my regret and regret. This door is closing, but my business and professional life will now begin elsewhere and I have to be fully available to give my best, as I have done here in hockey all these years,” he said, adding: “It was a very beautiful page in my life, but now there are other worlds to explore.”

However, the hockey player does not rule out a return to the sport in the future, in the long term, although through another project other than Sporting, despite the fact that, some time ago, this was the desire, but without compatibility with the club's vision.

When I realized that the club didn't have that in mind for me, I quickly changed my plans and adapted. At the moment, Sporting is out of the question for me to continue, but in the future I won't give up on being able to embrace any project linked to roller hockey somewhere else", said the Portuguese international who played 122 times.

The first days of his 'retirement' “have been complicated” on an emotional level, admitted Ângelo Girão, although he has been preparing for this end of his career “for about a year”.

“I knew that eventually there would be a year when I would have to leave. Since this was the perspective and I made up my mind a long time ago about hockey and stopping playing, it hasn’t been that difficult. It’s more about the emotional side of not being connected to these players and this work group on a daily basis, as I have been for the last 11 years,” said the captain of the Sporting team.

Having trained at FC Porto, Ângelo Girão represented, at senior level, AA Espinho and AD Valongo, where he was crowned national champion before moving to Sporting, at a time when the 'leonine' team was trying to get back on its feet after a period of inactivity.

The goalkeeper won a World Cup (2019) and a European Championship (2016) with the Portuguese national team, in addition to three Champions Leagues (2018/19, 2020/21 and 2023/24), two Continental Cups (2019/20 and 2021/22) and a WSE Cup (2014/15) with Sporting.

At national level, Ângelo Girão has three championships, one with Valongo (2013/14) and two with Sporting (2017/18 and 2020/21), a Portuguese Cup (2024/25) and a Super Cup (2015), and ends his career as one of the greatest Portuguese references.