Esteban Granero retires

Esteban Granero has announced his retirement from active football. ‘El Pirata’ hangs up the buoys after a long and successful career at Real Madrid, Getafe, Queens Park Rangers, Real Sociedad, Espanyol and Marbella.

Chess and literature fana, Granero was a player with good technique and ball hitting and an outstanding fighting spirit that was forged in the Real Madrid quarry. Being a heavyweight for Espanyol, he agreed to play for Marbella, which had designed a project to promote to Second. “I'm going to be a Marbella footballer until I retire,” he declared. And he has kept this word.

Although the project of the Costa del Sol team did not meet expectations and the team descended to Tercera RFEF, Granero was one of those who always pulled the car, giving an example of perseverance and professionalism from beginning to end.

The Madrilenian has written an emotional farewell message on his social networks and of which we reproduce an extract.

“For those who accompanied me at some point.

To those who did me good, total thanks. But to those of you who helped me and I never found out about it, nor did I ever hear from you, eternal love.

To those I did well once, you gave me more than I gave you.

To those who did me wrong when I did not deserve it, I do not hold a grudge against you.

To those I did wrong, it is a good day to admit that I regret it ”.

Another message for your colleagues.

“To my fellow soccer players.

How proud to have been one of you! The withdrawal is the death of the footballer. But, to paraphrase Richard Dawkins: All of us are going to die one day., and we are fortunate for it. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential of people who could have been here in our place, but who will never put their boots on in a stadium, outnumber the grains of sand in the Sahara. CCertainly these 'unborn ghosts' include greater scorers than Messi and more precise midfielders than Zizou.

However, the shocking reality is that you and I, in all our mediocrity, are here. We are among the privileged few who won the birth lottery despite all improbability. Should we complain about our inevitable return to that previous state from which most have never emerged?

The responses to your ad have not been long in coming. And all of them very affectionate. Diego Capel, Espanyol … colleagues, friends and fans. The ‘Pirate’ closes one door to open another.