Sergio hangs up his gloves

‘O Cat’ he has spent all his lives in goal. Sergio Álvarez hangs up his gloves twelve months after suffering a tear in both menisci in his right knee, an injury that has prevented him from returning to the pitch. After ten seasons as a member of the first team del Celta, the celestial youth squad announced this Thursday his retirement in a event held on the lawn of Balaídos.

At 34, Catoira's goalkeeper has not been able to say goodbye to professional football in the way he would have liked. His right knee has not recovered from serious setback that took place in A Madroa during training on May 18, 2020, in the countdown to the return of LaLiga after the stoppage due to the outbreak of the COVID health crisis.

Designated best goalkeeper of the Europa League 2016-2017, Sergio closes his sports career with 188 official matches disputed with Celta. The arousano will continue working for the olívica entity, although in the press conference that he has offered this afternoon you have not specified the position you are going to occupy.

“I find it difficult to walk normally”

Very excited since he appeared through the Balaídos dressing room tunnel, the already ex-footballer pointed out in the tribute organized by Celta that the decision to withdraw had been made since “February or March.” “It is difficult for me to walk normally and I cannot run”, Sergio revealed.

Dr. García Cota, Celta's chief of medical services, explained that “when we operate on the knee we realized that you have osteoarthritis. We already knew it from a previous operation, but it had increased in a very important way. This degenerative process was later complicated because started having problems with other joints”.

‘One two us’

Celta chose the phrase ‘un dos nosos’ (one of ours) to celebrate this goodbye. Sergio recalled that he arrived at the celestial entity from Arousa “At 17 and now I am 34, I consider this club my family” and in his farewell speech he affirmed “to feel emotion, the same thing that I felt in my life whenever I have practiced this sport. A stage in my life that has been very beautiful is closing. Soccer has not been just a sport for me, it has given me some values”.

In front of his relatives and those who have been his wardrobe mates, the Catoirense He praised the figure of President Carlos Mouriño: “You have always been very good to me. There are no words to describe what you do for everyone “. The highest Celtic leader praised Sergio's “Afouteza” and He synthesized the career of the exporter assuring that “you are the philosophy, the essence of this club.”