After 6 months in the small Portuguese club Estrela Amadora, Nani retired in January 2025. But here he is back in business… in Kazakhstan.
Nani’s career is not over yet. The former Portuguese superstar of Sporting Portugal, Manchester United and Fenerbahçe hung up his boots in January 2025 after a final stint in the country, but is now coming out of retirement.
And this time, it’s not for a return home to a club from his youth. No, Nani signed up, at the age of 39, for the club… of Aktobe, in Kazakhstan. He signed there until next June. A deal which of course goes beyond the scope of football.
Nani will contribute to the development of football in Kazakhstan
Nani will thus “contribute to the development of football in Kazakhstan”, as he declares in the Aktobe press release. The Kazakh club specifies that Nani’s mission will also be extra-sporting, as part of the development of the club and its structures.
A probably short-term mission for the former Portuguese international, 115 caps with the Seleçao, winner of Euro 2016.
Nani was particularly famous for his very spectacular style of play under the colors of Manchester United from 2007 to 2014, playing 230 matches for the Red Devils, for 41 goals and 65 assists.
