In Spain, formal goodbyes are made by players as they leave clubs, especially if there’s some kind of emotional connection or if the player involved came through the club’s youth system.
Whereas in the Premier League, exits are most often met with silence, or at best a social media post, in Spain there’s often quite emotional press conferences, with emotional teammates attending, and everyone fighting back tears.
Pau Lopez, who came through the Espanyol system, didn’t get his day in front of the press, but Marca explain he published an open letter to fans of the Barcelona club.
Pau makes it absolutely clear that leaving Espanyol was his choice, and he wasn’t forced out: “I can’t know or imagine what will happen in the future or what the final outcome will be of the new stage now beginning. However, all Espanyol fans can be sure that always, no matter what happens, I will carry this club in my heart.
“The operation by which I left Espanyol is solely my decision… I understood that it was the right moment.”
There’s a feeling in Spain that Pau may return to Espanyol one day, despite his loan move to Tottenham being fully weighted to slide into a permanent deal.
