How is former Bristol City, Plymouth Argyle and Middlesbrough star Yannick Bolasie getting on in Brazil?
After an illustrious career in English football which saw him feature for a number of clubs, Yannick Bolasie is now plying his trade in Brazil.
The Congolese international played for the likes of Plymouth Argyle, Bristol City, Crystal Palace, Everton, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, and Swansea City in the English pyramid in a career that has seen him play in a number of different countries.
As well as spending many years in England, Bolasie has also played in Malta, Belgium, Portugal, Turkey, and now Brazil, and he’s been a popular figure wherever he’s gone thanks to his skill and flair.
Now 35, Bolasie is playing for Brazilian side Criciúma after a short-term spell with Swansea last season, and with that in mind, we’ve taken a look at how he’s been performing.
Yannick Bolasie’s time in Brazil
In March 2024, Bolasie, who was a free agent, agreed a deal with Campeonato Brasileiro Série A side Criciúma to play in the Brazilian top flight.
While it wasn’t a successful season for his side, who were relegated after finishing 18th in the league, Bolasie enjoyed a fruitful campaign and missed just four games all season, one of which was thanks to suspension.
The campaign finished on Sunday as his side were defeated 5-1 by RB Bragantino, with Bolasie being used as a substitute.
However, he played 34 Serie A games in total, starting 27 of them, and he scored eight goals and registered four assists, a very decent return when you consider he was playing for a side struggling for form and were ultimately relegated.
Bolasie scored a brace on three occasions throughout the season, including last week when he bagged both his side’s goals in a 4-2 defeat to Corinthians.
Whilst being relegated is far from ideal, Bolasie has done well in Brazil, and to register eight goals and four assists at the age of 35 for a struggling side in the top-flight of Brazilian football is a very respectable return.
Despite his age, Bolasie still possesses plenty of pace, flair, and trickery, and he was often used as a striker as well as in his usual position on the wing – showing that he can score goals as well as entertain supporters.
Yannick Bolasie’s future in Brazil is far from certain
Bolasie’s contract with Criciúma is set to expire at the end of December, and with his side suffering relegation to the second tier, it remains to be seen if he’ll still be with the club when their 2025 campaign kicks off.
In English football, clubs often have to cut their wage bill significantly after relegation from the top flight, and if that’s the case in Brazil, then Bolasie may not be offered a new deal, and it remains to be seen whether he wants to remain with the club anyway.
The 35-year-old is coming towards the end of his playing days, but he’s clearly still got it, and he’d make a decent signing for teams around the world as a soon-to-be free agent.
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