This July 4, Irene Paredes has turned 30 with major challenges on the horizon. An exciting season is presented to the Basque center-back with the long-awaited announcement of her signing for FC Barcelona, from PSG, and the illusion of being a mother next September with Lucía Ybarra, a former international hockey player, who is pregnant and after having married on June 21 in a beautiful ceremony, as he showed on his social networks.
Life smiles on this footballer who despite everything she has achieved is convinced that her best years are yet to come.
“A new adventure begins. Countdown to September ”, the Basque soccer player announced on Instagram last April. The former defender of Athletic Club and Real Sociedad, a 74-time Spanish international, thus announced that he is going through one of the best moments of his career.
After being captain and undisputed starter in the French team, which has just won the French League after unseating the dominance for 14 years of the almighty Olympique de Lyon, with a goal of his in the last game, as well as reaching the semifinals of the Champions League, falling Precisely against Barça, Irene begins an adventure in style in the Barça team, in the absence of the official announcement by the club.
It will be a luxury reinforcement for the center of a defense where he hopes to play a very relevant role, after Mapi León and Andrea Pereira, both starters, have had to play practically every game this season, with the logical wear and tear that this entails.
Irene has not only been the captain of PSG but one of the fixtures in Olivier Echouafni's team, having played 85 league games and 26 Champions League games in her five years in Paris. He is also a basic pillar in the Spanish team.
“Five years ago I came to Paris to grow up and win this title. With a lot of effort, fun, but also disappointments, we finally made it, “he wrote in his farewell letter published on his social networks.
“It is time for me to change of scene and continue growing as a footballer, far from Paris, with new goals and new challenges” and he left an emotional final message: “Before I go, I just want to wish you the best. I am very proud to have met you. Paris will be in my heart forever ”.