Farewells with glory in 2015

Last update 1 April, 2024 by Alberto Llopis

The year 2015 It has been the farewell of great legends of their clubs. The string of retirements of players and even prominent coaches that occurred this end of the season in Europe, especially because the vast majority were not goodbyes to football itself, but only farewells to the clubs they defended throughout their career or with which they identified for various reasons, draws attention for the respect and emotionality in which they were given.

One more example of why, as if it needed to be highlighted, On issues like this, the Old Continent is many steps ahead of Latin America.

Our idiosyncrasy, the miscegenation itself, perhaps they cause praise to be withheld on this side of the planet – from Mexico to Patagonia –, recognitions are hidden and, on the contrary, figures of this sport are criticized and even ridiculed, no matter how many achievements they have and how much loyalty they show.

Why is it so difficult for Latinos to recognize the good and bad of each sports actor?, or separate the athlete from the person, or make a neutral judgment, full, objective and sensible of someone?

In recent days we saw how the German technical director JurgenKlopp withdrew from the clubs with which he has been identified throughout his career., to the English players Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard and the Spanish Xavi Hernández.

Farewells 2015: The great stars who leave their teams

Klopp, history forever in Borussia

With Klopp in charge, Borussia Dortmund won the Bundesliga twice, the German Cup once - they can repeat it if they beat Wolfsburg in the final this season- y 2 the German Super Cup twice – both at the expense of Pep Guardiola's Bayern – and reached the Champions League final once, all with full-throttle football that was the Aurinegra identity mark during 7 years.

This campaign got off to a disastrous start., and the team finished the first round in penultimate place in the Bundesliga, but in the second round he recovered his football and even secured his qualification for the Europa League, with full-throttle football like the one that had been Dortmund's trademark during the best moments of his management.

Anfield sacked Gerrard

After 17 seasons wearing only his shirt (and not having changed my hairstyle in those almost 2 decades), Steven Gerrard said an emotional farewell to the Anfield stadium, who dedicated several phrases to him that summarize his importance with the Reds: “The most faithful soldier”, “Captain Fantastic”, “Mr. Liverpool deja 'Anfield', But he will never walk alone.".

The “8” debuts with the red shirt with barely 18 years and 6 seasons later, in the 2004-05, Roman Abramovich's ambitious project and Chelsea even offered 20 million euros for his pass. But he decided to stay in the port team and face the next Champions League with a Red shirt., no longer injured and consolidated as a starter, captain and reference.

Your prize came soon, since Liverpool reached the final, beating teams of the stature of Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, and even Chelsea itself in the semifinals. Already in the last game, in which for many (I included myself) It has been the best “Orejona” final in history, after ending up losing 0-3 in the first half against Milan, Steven Gerrard with a powerful header begins the path of recovery for the Reds, that ended up tying the game 3-3 in alone 15 minutes of her second part, bordering on the penalty shootout, where goalkeeper JerzyDudek's inspired night gave Liverpool their fifth European Cup.

Once you reach the top of world football, Gerrard continued to be tempted by many big teams in Europe, but he stayed true to his colors, even knowing that the outlook was not the most promising in the port and this year he said goodbye to his “cradle” with 709 games played, 185 goals scored and 9 raised titles.

Xavi said see you soon to Barça

Who It is synonymous with protecting the ball above all else, of giving a lot of importance to possession of the ball, to dominate the game even above what the final score says, it is without a doubt, the Spanish Xavi Hernández.

If they asked me to define the Barcelona midfielder (always faithful to the t-shirt, 17 years honorably defending it are not few) in one word, I would say: toque. And not just any “touch”, but one with style, with personality, with intelligence, with meaning. It is not noticeable for its speed, his physique or his dribbling. His skills are different: a peripheral game vision that allows you to notice, with a simple glance, the gaps created by his teammates to be able to put a deep ball.

What is your legacy? Awesome: 8 league titles, 3 Champions League (or maybe 4), 2 King's Cups (Maybe 3), 6 Spanish Super Cups, 2 European Super Cups and 2 Club World Cups. That, only with Barcelona. With the selection, 2 Euro Cups and a World Cup. The ball will miss him and the football fans will miss him much more., because he always respected both. Qatar awaits you. It is undoubtedly one of the big goodbyes 2015.

Lampard, another historic one that leaves the Premier

Another historic Englishman enters the farewell list 2015. Frankie Lampard, disputed 609 matches in the top category of English football, got 177 scores and placed third in the all-time ranking of Premier League scorers, only behind Alan Shearer (260) y Andy Cole (187). Unlike previous honorees, “Lamps” did not defend a single shirt, but several: Swansea City, West HamUnited, Chelsea (his best time, during 13 seasons) and Manchester City.

“What Stevie and Lamps have done in the Premier League has been phenomenal. They are a couple of absolute legends”, said the Chelsea captain, John Terry, a veteran teammate of both in the England team. The pair of legendary stars will go to play in Major League Soccer in the United States, and they said goodbye to their country last weekend, in your style: scoring goal.

With so many achievements, impossible not to think of the phrase “honor to whom honor is due” to say goodbye to these 4 world football figures who will surely give a lot to this sport, from your current trench or any other. Because they live in love with the ball.

Didier drogba: Forever one of the best players in Chelsea history

We can also mention in these farewells to 2015 to the case of the Ivorian Didier Drogba, with a less media profile but enormously useful for the teams whose shirts he has defended, like Chelsea, with which he is mostly identified, and with whom he won all kinds of cups (between them, 4 Premier League). Besides, He was a vital piece in winning the blue club's only Champions League..

And it becomes more relevant then the fact that in Mexico retired figures like Antonio Carbajal, Hugo Sánchez or Cuauhtémoc Blanco are not valued enough and are even criticized for trifles, Instead of constantly honoring them for everything – which was not little – what they gave us on the fields.