Mexican International Rafael Marquez bids farewell to Barcelona; joins New York Red Bulls
Mexico’s 2010 World Cup Captain Rafael Marquez reflected on his time with his beloved club Barcelona after leaving the club on Saturday following a 7 year stint. There had been immense speculation that the defender was on his way out of Camp Nou since the World Cup, and he has finally made his exit. Marquez looked back at his time with the Spanish champions and said that these were the best 7 years of his life, and no matter where he goes, Barcelona will always be in his heart.
He said that among all the trophies he won at Barcelona, the Champions League win in Paris against Manchester United was the most memorable one. He said that regardless of all the silverware he would miss the people at the club. The defender said that in the past 7 years, he has made numerous close friends at Barcelona and they have stood by him through thick and thin. He added that nothing he does from now on would compare to what he achieved with the Catalans, and he will be a Barca man till death.
Marquez went on to explain as to what were the reasons that made him leave his beloved club. He said that he sat down with the manager Pep Guardiola and he told him that he can stay here, and still be part of the team. He added that had he stayed, he would have been a quiet figure in the corner and not the same imposing defender he used to be. The Mexican said that he believes he has achieved what he wanted to at Barcelona, and at the age of 31, it is time for him to look for new challenges. He went on to say that even at this age, he has a lot of football left in him, and he is ambitious enough to look for a whole new journey. When asked about his new destination, the defender refused to go into details, and said that it will soon be clear to all and for now he just wants to pay tribute to his club.
Meanwhile, Marquez’s manager at Barcelona has once again said that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not going anywhere, and there is no truth to all the rumours linking him to several clubs.
Manchester City and AC Milan have been reported as being the ones interested in signing the Swedish striker, but Guardiola has reiterated that Ibra is here to stay, and is an integral part of his team. Guardiola said that he believes strongly in his striker, and he is one of the key components of his future plans next season.
The manager admitted that since arriving from Inter Milan, he has not had the best of times at Barcelona, but he is good enough to prove his worth in the upcoming season.
While commenting on the exit of Marquez, the manager said that he had loyally served the club for many years. He added that Marquez was one of the cornerstones on which the defensive line of Barcelona was built in the wonderful trophy-winning years, and it would be difficult to replace him. Guardiola said that it was his own decision to leave, and the club wishes him best of luck in his career.
Rafael Marquez now joins retired French International Thierry Henry at Major League Soccer team ‘The New York Red Bulls.’
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