Rafael Marquez 'set to leave Barcelona'
Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez is on the verge of leaving the club, the club's new sporting director has revealed.
At a press conference to announce his arrival at the Camp Nou, Andoni Zubizarreta mentioned that the player, who has two years left on his current contract, was about to leave for pastures new and claimed “the final details [need] tying up” before Marquez can turn out for another club.
The club in question remains a mystery, with no official announcement as to where the Mexico captain will be plying his trade next season. This week, Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber said the player is considering signing with New York Red Bulls, and that appears to be the 31-year-old’s most likely destination. However, he has been linked with moves to several other teams, most notably Italian Serie A club Juventus.
Teaming up again
If he moves on to New York Red Bulls, Marquez will once again find himself playing with his former teammate at Barca, Thierry Henry. The France international and former Arsenal FC striker moved to the United States of America earlier in the close season.
The versatile Marquez, who is able to play either in the middle of the back line or as a defensive midfielder, began his career at Club Atlas in his homeland. He made his first-team debut there in 1996, at the age of just 17. He impressed as he made 77 appearances for the team and scored six goals in three seasons.
A scout for AS Monaco FC had spotted Marquez playing well in a Copa America game. The French Ligue 1 club paid six million Euros for his signature. Marquez immediately made an impact with Monaco, helping the team capture the French league title in his first season. His strong performances captured the attentions of several bigger clubs, but Monaco managed to hold on to him until 2003, when Barcelona purchased the defender for five million Euros. In total, he played 102 times for Monaco, scoring five goals. He also won the award for the best defender in Ligue 1 in 2000 and was part of the team which won the Coupe de le Ligue in 2003.
In the 2003-04 season, Marquez played 21 times for the Catalan giants and helped the team to the runner-up position in La Liga. Due to injuries to other players, he was shifted into a holding midfield role for the 2004-05 season. That year, he lifted his first La Liga championship. In the 2005-06 season, he was part of the squad which again won the league title. In addition, he became the first Mexican player to ever win the UEFA Champions League.
Injury-plagued season
The player’s 2006-07 season was hampered by injury, but he got off to a strong start the following year as he formed a new central defensive partnership with Gabriel Milito while club captain Carles Puyol was on the sidelines with an injury. However, his initial good performances were hampered by injury as he found himself in and out of the team. For the 2008-09 season, he found himself as half of new coach Pep Guardiola’s first-choice central defensive pairing along with Puyol. That season was enormously successful for both Marquez and Barca as they won the league championship, Copa del Rey and Champions League. 2009 also saw them pick up trophies in the Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. In the 2009-10 season, Marquez helped the club secure a second successive league championship.
At international level, Marquez has established himself as a force within Mexico’s senior squad. He has featured 93 times for his country and has scored 11 goals, including the equalizer in a 1-1 draw at the opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup against hosts South Africa.
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