After 10 years at FC Barcelona, Mariona Caldentey has announced her departure from the club. The player ends her time at the club after a historical season, where she has been a key piece for the team and lifted four tittles. The forward will look for new challenges in her career after winning it all.
Leaving home is never easy and even less at your career’s peak. That is why the departure of Mariona Caldentey is so painful at this time. She has given 10 years of football show to the fans, but this one has probably been the best one both individually and collectively.
She has not had any injury this last season and so she has been able to show her best level. She has been an important piece for coach Jonatan Giráldez’s plans and a key player for Barça’s most important nights. This season, she has played a total of 45 games, where she has scored 19 goals and given 17 assists. And there are still two pending league fixtures to take place. Furthermore, she was chosen as the MVP at the Queen’s Cup Final.
The love story of Mariona Caldentey with FC Barcelona started back in 2014, after being signed from UD Collerense. She arrived being a kid and now leaves as a legend. The player says bye after playing 302 official games, where she has scored 114 goals. She leaves as the fifth scorer of all times at the club behind Oshoala (117), Sonia Bermúdez (123), Jenni Hermoso (181) and Alexia Putellas (190).
At the age of 28, she has lifted a total of 25 titles with FC Barcelona: five league titles, three Champions League titles, six Queen’s Cup titles, four Spanish Cup titles and six Catalan Cups. This way, she becomes as the fourth player with the most titles of the club, only behind Marta Torrejón (28), Melanie Serrano (29) and Alexia Putellas (30).
Her farewell is very painful, not only from the sporting perspective. She is a very loved player in the locker room, the eternal smile of FC Barcelona. More of the same from the fans, as they did not stop chanting her name in the Champions League Final at San Mamés and begging her to stay. The love is mutual and Mariona has said bye through a very emotional video posted on the social media.
This decision has not been made from one day to another and Barça have fought until the end to extend her contract. But, what do you do after having won it all in a club where you have been for 10 years? That might be the question that Mariona might have asked herself before making a choice. The excitement of winning titles in another team and facing new challenges have made Mariona to end her time at FC Barcelona.
It is clear that Mariona Caldentey is not going to lack of offers, specially from the FA Women’s Super League (England). The name of the cub that is now more likely to be the winner is Arsenal, as they are building a great team to battle for the league title. She would meet with another national squad teammate, Laia Codina.
The team that signs her will have a diamond in their hands, while Barça will struggle to find her a replacement. Mariona leaves as one of the most talented players in the world and who has adapted herself the best to Barça’s playing style, fitting in different roles throughout the years.
Playing as a winger, she had a great ability to dribble making Barça to create superiority in the midfield. Also, she has added a lot on her constant defensive job and help by playing the ball from backwards. Mariona is the eternal underrated that makes everything around her to be better.
Mariona Caldentey was born with the talent to play football. Her treatment and domination with the ball is a visual pleasure, which is hard to explain. It is a pleasure to see her play and will be a huge lost for both Barça and the Spanish League. She will play her last game in front of her fans this Sunday at 20:30 against Betis, where her official farewell will take place. She is a legend and deserves to leave from the front door.
Spanish football will miss you, Mariona.
Main image: @FCBFemeni.
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