I won Champions League titles with Cristiano Ronaldo but retired to become a fisherman and invest in gin
Today at 06:57 AM
From rubbing shoulders with Cristiano Ronaldo to becoming a fisherman and investing in gin, this is the life of ex-Real Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao.
The former full-back decided to retire at the age of 33, having played alongside Ronaldo at both club level and for his country, Portugal.
Coentrao won nine major trophies alongside Ronaldo, including two Champions Leagues, during a glorious seven-year stint at Real Madrid.
The ex-Portugal international had plied his trade in the Spanish capital between 2011 and 2018, making more than 100 appearances for Los Blancos after moving from Benfica.
Despite some important moments, Coentrao was largely a bit-part player for Madrid, with manager Jose Mourinho using him sparingly and then Zinedine Zidane later preferring Marcelo.
However, he was a key Portugal player for many years.
Coentrao earned 52 caps for his country over an eight-year international career between 2009 and 2017.
But while Ronaldo is still going strong with Al Nassr and Portugal at the age of 39, Coentrao opted not to play deep into his 30s.
Following a couple of loan spells at Monaco and Sporting Lisbon, the former Benfica star went on to play for Rio Ave in his home nation, before deciding to hang up his boots for good.
It had been a homecoming for the player who began his career in the northern club.
When he came out of retirement in 2020 to briefly play for them he wrote in an emotional Instagram post: “This was my starting point for the football world. Here was the beginning of a path that led me to live an adventure that I’m proud of. I stepped on the most famous stages, the best known pitches. I lived emotions that I never imagined I could live. I shared Olympus with the Gods of football.
“I conquered and helped to conquer what was unthinkable for a boy who one day left this city and this club. I come back with the same passion that made me come back two years ago. Because this fire burns unceasingly, because I know I still have so much to give. Because here among us lives the same desire to win and to fight as Fabio who left here one day. It’s good to be home.”
Coentrao is three years younger than Ronaldo and the former full-back now spends his days working on an entirely different passion: fishing.
He bought his first boat while at the Bernabeu due to his father being a huge ocean enthusiast.
“The roots have been here since I was born,” Coentrao said as quoted by The Sun.
“My father always had a boat, he was really into fishing. I used to go a lot with my father. I liked it very much.
“Whenever I had that bit of time off, whenever I was on holiday, my life was… it was the sea, it was fishing.
“And of course I knew that one day football would end, I would have to take another direction in my life.
Coentrao has since been working across three ships, building a team of 45 people which includes younger people.
More recently, Coentrao became a partner in a drinks company called Gin Pablo.
After teasing a new challenge on social media, there was brief speculation of a return to football, before the former defender instead announced a partnership with the gin brand.
He said: "After many years in football, I found a new passion in the business world. When I learned about the Gin Pablo project, I immediately knew it was a perfect match. Now as a partner, I want to introduce Pablo to more people.”
In his prime as a footballer, Manchester United were desperate to sign Coentrao and thought they had a deal done.
Back in 2013, the former Real Madrid left-back was seen as an alternative option to Leighton Baines, a player ex-Red Devils and Everton boss David Moyes wanted to join him from the Toffees at the same time as Marouane Fellaini.
Everton did not want to sanction a joint deal – something which was finally accepted on deadline day – with United only offering £15m for Baines when the Toffees politely told them £20m or forget it.
As a last-minute effort, Moyes tried desperately to bring Coentrao to Old Trafford on loan, but the deal fell through.
United submitted their share of the paperwork on time, but Real's move for Guilherme Siqueira from Granada as a replacement also collapsed when he chose to join Benfica, and United were left with nothing.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is still breaking records in the game and adding to his legacy as one of football’s greatest players of all time.
At Euro 2024, the former Manchester United star became the first-ever player to feature in six separate European Championships.
He is thought to be the leading goalscorer in football history, recently surpassing 900 career goals and setting his sights on 1000.
Although, some have questioned his continued presence at the elite level.
Ronaldo is lethal in the Saudi Pro League, scoring 63 times in 67 games for Al Nassr since joining in 2023, but he was largely anonymous for his country during the failed Euro 2024 campaign.
The Portuguese phenomenon ended the tournament with no goals from 23 shots – the most attempts of any player in the competition at the time of the quarter-final exit.
