Tchau, M1TO: There will never be another 'keeper like Rogerio Ceni

A one-of-a-kind adventure through the football universe came to an abrupt end on Sunday, as Rogerio Ceni finally hung up his gloves and, more importantly, his cleats.

Rogerio, who retires with 131 goals to his name - more than most strikers can dream of scoring in a lifetime - transcended the beautiful game from the first moment he first took the pitch for Sao Paulo in 1993 at 20 years old, converting free-kicks and penalty kicks with such precision and such frequency that his supporters would often forget he was a 'keeper.

Having made over 1,200 appearances for Sao Paulo over the course of a 22-year career, M1TO, as he is affectionately dubbed, produced a scoring ratio of nearly one goal for every 10 fixtures - roughly the equivalent of Emile Heskey's record with England's national team.

Refusing to be held back by the confines of the penalty area, he is also the first 'keeper ever to score 100 goals, a milestone that he hit in 2011 by converting a 25-yard free-kick against Corinthians.

It would be criminal, however, to simply remember Rogerio as a goal-scoring 'keeper, as he was so much more than that.

In a sport where loyalty among footballers is nearly dead, M1TO boasts the honour of featuring for only one club throughout a 22-year career. In turn, he is a god at Sao Paulo, possessing a status that, arguably, Ryan Giggs doesn't even possess at Old Trafford.

Then there's his trophy cabinet. Rogerio was Brazil's third-choice 'keeper when the Selecao won the 2002 World Cup. He was the man of the match when Sao Paulo famously defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the final of the 2005 Club World Cup, denying the likes of Luis Garcia and Fernando Morientes from finding the back of the net.

What the trophy doesn't reveal, however, is that Rogerio is an embodiment of South American football. As Barney Ronay of the Guardian wrote four years ago, "There are many things South Americans do both differently and better in football," and M1TO personifies that sentiment. Nowhere else would a 'keeper be able to evolve into what Rogerio became, allowed to showcase his ruthless eye for goal.

On Sunday, Rogerio was unfortunately unable to play in Sao Paulo's victory at Goias due to a ligament rupture in his right foot, the one he probably would've used to score his 132nd goal. Of course, that didn't stop travelling supporters from unveiling a banner, thanking M1TO for everything he's given to his club.

Among the first to congratulate Rogerio after the final whistle was Ronaldinho, with whom he captured the 2002 World Cup and who took to Twitter to write: "Congratulations on your career and on your trajectory. You are an example of an athlete and a person. Good luck with your new stage!"

There will never be another 'keeper like Rogerio, and Ronaldinho, like the rest of the Brazilian population, is perfectly aware of that.

Obrigado, Rogerio.