RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 21 -- Henrique, a key member of Brazil's under-20 FIFA World Cup championship team, declared upon his return to the country on Sunday that he intends to leave Sao Paulo.
The 20-year-old, the winner of MVP award of the 2011 U-20 World Cup on Saturday, said that Sao Paulo has never given him a chance to display his talent.
He signed with the Sao Paulo soccer club when he was only 16-year-old. According to him, when a young player signs a contract with a club, it is only valid for three years.
However, the Sao Paulo administration said that he signed a contract that is good through 2013.
He claimed that be he and his agent, Giuliano Bertolucci, attempted on several occasions to clarify the conditions of his contract and look to make both parties happy.
Unsuccessful in coming to an agreement with Sao Paulo, Henrique said that it is time for him to leave the club and move to another place where he will be able to develop his talent and play on a regular basis, in his words, "simply practicing is not enough."
Henrique said his contract with Sao Paulo expired in July of 2011. With such a brilliant performance in Colombia during the U-20 World Cup, the talented striker is confident that he caught the attention of clubs in Europe and hopes to fulfill a dream of playing abroad.