Forward Confirms Departure: "My Gratitude to Sporting Will Be Eternal"

It's now official: Rodrigo Ribeiro is making a permanent move to German club Augsburg, with Sporting pocketing an additional €5 million from the transfer. The forward, a native of Viana do Castelo, who debuted for Sporting as a youth player (in a match against Manchester City in May 2022), will remain in the Bundesliga after a six-month loan spell from the Lions. As he departed, Rodrigo Ribeiro sent a heartfelt message to the fans.

"It's not easy to say goodbye to the place where I grew up. I want to thank a club that welcomed me at seven years old, still an innocent child, but full of dreams. I was fortunate to experience moments I once only dreamed of. Moments that will stay with me forever and that no one can take away. To everyone who was part of this journey, thank you. To those who helped me, to those who believed in me, and also to those who challenged me to be better. My gratitude will be eternal. For everything I lived, for everything I learned, and for everything this club represented in my development as a player and as a person. I will continue to support, follow, and feel this club as I always have: as a fan, since birth. Thank you, Sporting Clube de Portugal," he wrote.