One of the most popular players in Union history has announced his retirement.
Ilsinho on Wednesday brought an end to a 21-year professional career, and the club will honor the 36-year-old Saturday as part of the game against San Jose at Subaru Park.
“After 21 incredible years, the time has come to hang up my boots,” Ilsinho wrote in an Instagram post. “While the decision to retire was hard, I am so full of gratitude for my time spent on the pitch and to the people that have gotten me here. Thank you to the fans for their unwavering support throughout the years. To all my teammates who fought alongside me on field and became family and friends off it. To the coaches and staff who believed in me and gave me a chance, and most importantly to my family who sacrificed so much to have allowed me to have such a long, successful career doing something I loved. I’m so grateful for my time on the pitch and look forward to what the future holds.”
Ilsinho signed with the Union before the 2016 season. He made 130 MLS appearances for the Union over six seasons, limited to just five games and 78 minutes due to injuries last season. He’s etched his name into MLS lore with his unmatched array of on-ball skills and utter audacity, befuddling defenders in spectacular fashion to create goals for himself and others. His sunny personality also was a valued asset in the Union locker room.
“We’re really lucky to have had Ilsinho here,” manager Jim Curtin said Thursday in his weekly press conference. “… A special player, a great player that I shared a lot of great memories with, one that was really responsible for moving the club forward, for helping us lift that first trophy and for really changing the culture here in the Philadelphia Union, because he’s such a special, great person and teammate in that locker room, with our younger players, with our holder players. He gets along with everybody. His stories have our younger guys on the edge of their seats just because he’s experienced so much in the game, with so many great players that he’s played with. A legend here in Philly.”
Ilsinho is fifth in Union history in both goals (22) and assists (20). He’s one of only seven players in franchise history with more than 10 goals and 10 assists. Only he and Sebastien Le Toux have 20 and 20.
The native of Sao Bernardo do Campo compiled a stellar career in South America and Europe before joining MLS. He played for Brazilian giants Sao Paolo, Internacional and Palmeiras, the club of his youth, and won a league title at Sao Paolo in 2006.
He also was a legend for Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, leaving the country soon after Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, in part for the safety of his young family. He won five league titles and three league cups with Donetsk over two stints and was part of the squad that won the UEFA Cup in 2009.
He earned one cap with the Brazilian national team, in 2007 as a right back, and was part of the team that won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Curtin expressed interest in Ilsinho, who has done private coaching on the side, sticking around the Union organization if that’s something he wants, though he has no shortage of options.
“Whatever he wants to do, he’s going to be successful at, because he’s such a good, genuine person,” Curtin said. “I would love for that to be in Philadelphia in the future for sure. But great time to celebrate him. I’m looking forward to it at the game, and I think we’ll all never forget as fans and as coaches – and sometimes I found myself just being a fan when you’d watch him in practice or you’d watch him in the game – but we’re really lucky to have him. Those emotions when he gets subbed into a game and all of a sudden you could feel the energy at Subaru Park just raise to a higher level, and everybody knew that the opposition was in trouble. You could almost see it on the opponents’ faces when he came into games.”
