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Official: Patric Ends 11-Year Lazio Spell, Joins Al-Ittifaq
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- Official: Patric Ends 11-Year Lazio Spell, Joins Al-Ittifaq
Official: Patric Ends 11-Year Lazio Spell, Joins Al-Ittifaq
Lazio have parted ways with the longest-serving player in their current squad, as Patric completes a deadline-day move to Al-Ittifaq.
Patric Had a Rollercoaster Spell in Rome
The Spaniard is a Barcelona youth product who arrived in the Italian capital in 2015. The defender's stint with Lazio was often interrupted by injuries, but he still went on to make 244 appearances in the Biancocelesti jersey.
Patric (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)
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After missing the entire pre-season through injury, Gennaro Gattuso opted to keep Patric out of his Serie A squad list . The club ended up signing another centre-back in the form of Diogo Leite , suggesting they have moved on from the Mula native. Therefore, the writing was on the wall for the experienced defender.
Lazio Announce Patric to Al-Ittifaq
Instead of seeing out the remaining year of his Lazio contract on the sidelines, Patric decided to embark on a new experience after receiving an offer from Al-Ittifaq, a club that features in the Emirati second division and hosts former Serie A stars, Mario Balotelli and Douglas Costa . Former Juventus defender Paolo Montero is the club's head coach.
After days of negotiations, the parties were able to reach an agreement before Monday's transfer deadline in the UAE. The official Lazio website announced that their stalwart defender has signed for the Dubai-based club.
S.S. Lazio announces that it has permanently transferred the player Patricio Gabarrón Gil to Al-Ettifaq, a club in the United Arab Emirates.
Patric Pays Tribute to Lazio Supporters
After the announcement, Patric bid an emotional farewell to the Biancocelesti fans through a video message posted on Lazio's social channels, thanking them for supporting him through thick and thin, while admitting he's no longer capable of serving the cause as he once did.
Ciao, Lazio fans. I arrived here as a boy and I'm leaving as a man. In between, there was you. Even in my wildest dreams, I could never have imagined a love story like this. We won, we lost, we suffered, we celebrated. We experienced Champions League nights, battles in Europe, finals, trophies and records that will remain in history.But you know what? At the end of all this, what I'll truly take with me isn't the numbers, it's the love. Your love, the real kind. The kind that sometimes hurts. You were like parents to a son. You were hard on me when I made mistakes, and you told me things that hurt when I deserved to hear them. But when I gave everything I had, you respected me, defended me and loved me. And I will never forget that.This shirt made me fall and get back up. It made me suffer, rejoice, grow and become the man I am today. I always said that I would stay for as long as I felt I could give everything I had to Lazio, and that when that was no longer the case, I would be the first to step aside, regardless of what was best for me.Today, I do so with a full heart. I don't know if you will ever be able to understand how much I cared about you, how much I still care about you. I arrived as a boy, and I'm leaving as a man. But a part of me will remain here forever. Thank you for everything, Lazio fans. Forever one of you.
