On August 30, 2016, Suning decided to unleash its might. In a few hours he takes Joao Mario, fresh winner of the European Championship with Portugal, but also Gabriel Barbosa, known as Gabigol, star of Santos and rising star on the launch pad like Gabriel Jesus. It would probably have been better to take the second, but that’s another story. Almost 30 million on the nail and, above all, the feeling of having taken a future prospect with great potential. So much so as to present him a month later on a rooftop, like Ronaldo the Phenomenon. Definitely a bold comparison.
“Gabigol is from Inter.” This is the title that stands out (still) on the Nerazzurri club’s website. “On his twentieth birthday, Gabriel Barbosa Almeida becomes an Inter player! The Brazilian striker born in 1996 has signed a contract until 2021 with the Nerazzurri and arrives in Milan after four seasons at Santos with whom he won the Paulista Championship twice, in 2015 and 2016. […] While waiting to admire him at the “Scala del calcio”, the Nerazzurri club and fans give him a warm welcome, wishing him a happy birthday and an extraordinary career with the Inter shirt”.
We all know how it went. Nine games in the league and only one goal, against Bologna. Never taken into consideration by Frank De Boer, the first coach of the season, not much more by Stefano Pioli, who then took over. Almost 30 million thrown out the window, given that things aren’t going much better at Benfica and he is therefore forced to return to Brazil. First to Santos and then to Flamengo, where he returns to scoring and living up to his nickname. Even if he has been in clear and constant decline since 2020. Today Gabriel Barbosa, known as Gabigol, turns 28.