Barcelona have confirmed that this month will be Javier Mascherano’s last at the club, with a move to Hebei China Fortune set to take place within the next few days.
The Catalans have announced they will stage an “institutional farewell ceremony” for the 33-year-old at the Camp Nou on Wednesday so they can give him the big send-off he so richly deserves.
#ThankYouMasche… for everything! 🔵🔴@Mascherano 👏 pic.twitter.com/XsSkKh8gYK
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 23, 2018
After signing from Liverpool for £20million in the summer of 2010, Mascherano went on to play a pivotal defensive role in the seven-and-a-half years of success that followed, winning five La Liga titles, four Copa Del Reys, three Spanish Supercopas, two Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and a couple of FIFA Club World Cups in the space of 334 appearances.
Oh, and one goal.
No wonder he was knackered by the end of it.
Photo: @Emenderk/Twitter
Mascherano is now set to join Manuel Pellegrini’s Hebei Fortune in a deal worth around €10million – Pellegrini being the coach who gave the then-19-year-old midfielder his professional debut for River Plate back in 2001. Weirdly, he’d already made his senior international debut for Argentina several months beforehand.
Here’s wishing El Jefecito a happy semi-retirement (before he returns for one last fling in Europe/Argentina in eight month’s time).