Javier Mascherano emotional during farewell speech
By Laieke Abebe
After seven and a half years with Barcelona, Argentine midfielder/defender Javier Mascherano bid farewell to the Blaugrana ahead of his move to China.
Javier Mascherano gave everything to Barcelona during his time with the club. In seven and a half years, the Argentine managed only one goal, last April against Osasuna. That goal was only a penalty, so he never scored a goal in the run of play for Barca. Despite that, his impact didn’t involve goals. Instead it involved working hard in the midfield and defense creating for others while stopping the opposition attack. Now, his time with the Blaugrana is coming to an end.
The midfielder/central defender is leaving Barcelona for the Chinese Super League side Hebei Fortune. His move to China has been confirmed by Barcelona and the deal will be done by the end of the week. In the mean time, Mascherano did get a very nice farewell sendoff from the team executives. President Josep Maria Bartomeu is hoping that Mascherano makes a return to Barca in some capacity after his playing days are over.
More from Everything Barca
- FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
- FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
- Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
- FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
- Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid
Mascherano joined Barcelona from Liverpool in 2010 and was supposed to play in Pep Guardiola’s midfield. Instead, the Argentine found himself as a stalwart in central defense despite being undersized for the position. However, he did still play some minutes in the midfield during his time with the Blaugrana. As for his next venture, reports suggest that Barca will receive €10 million from Hebei Fortune for Mascherano’s services.
At his farewell press conference, Mascherano was very emotional while thanking the players and coaching staff. In addition to that, he felt that his time was running out as a Barca player. With the signing of Yerry Mina and the development of Samuel Umtiti, he felt like the time was right to make a move.
"“Sometimes you have to accept the reality. I’m not the player I was. It’s normal, natural. I needed to make this change. I didn’t feel like I could revert the situation here. The quality of the centre-backs in the team is so high. The hardest thing about playing for Barcelona is that you know that one day you will have to leave. I feel privileged, fortunate for everything I have been able to experience here. I never imagined I would stay here for so long and be part of the club’s history.”Javier Mascherano on his time with Barcelona"
Next: Luis Suarez reaches a milestone
Overall, Javier Mascherano gave everything to Barca. From goal line clearances to clutch tackles to key passes in the build up to a goal, the Argentine always gave his best effort. However, after 17 trophies and over 300 appearances for the club, the time was right for him to leave. He leaves Barca with a very positive legacy and hopefully he finishes his playing career strong.