Yesterday it was two years since the official confirmation of the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga for him Chelsea. And on a day like today in 2018, the young goalkeeper of Ondarroa was doing his first training with the London team, who had paid a whopping 80 million euros to the Athletic for taking over the services of the one who aimed to be a reference goalkeeper at the continental level. Two years later, Chelsea can't wait to get out and recoup at least part of the high investment they made. And it is that nobody could imagine that the glare of his irruption in the demanding English football would extinguish so soon. In the same way that nobody could think that he was going to be so little missed in Bilbao in this time that has elapsed since his departure.
The anniversary of his hiring by Chelsea was widely remembered yesterday on social networks. In many cases, in a mocking tone. And it is that this second anniversary of his signing coincided with the game that the 'blues' played yesterday against him. Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena. As expected, Kepa was once again relegated to the bench, while the veteran Willy Caballero (38 years old) stood under sticks. The Argentine did not have a good time yesterday either, who conceded 4 goals against the Bavarians (4-1).
After a first season in London that can be described as good, the ordeal for Kepa started in his second year. A series of bulk errors caused Frank Lampard lose confidence in him. The coach has not cut too much when criticizing the Biscayan goal, which left him even more exposed to the anger of the fans or to jokes, more or less hurtful, about his worth. Those 80 million euros were the largest amount paid in history by a goalkeeper. A label that, apparently, has ended up weighing him too much.
While in the UK and half of Europe they ‘waver’ with Kepa, in Bilbao, the feeling that, in the end, his departure to Chelsea was a good deal, he has been gaining. It didn't seem like that two years ago, when most of the rojiblanca fans were overcome by the feeling that someone who could have made history at Athletic was leaving. With a brief career as a lion of 54 official matches in two campaigns, Kepa had awakened an unusual illusion in the parish of San Mamés. Due to its conditions, its plant … It even came to be compared to the mythical Iribar. Big words.
His departure pupated, because with respect to the previous exits of players such as Javi martinez, Fernando llorente or Ander Herrera, Kepa Arrizabalaga It added a differentiating factor: it was a genuine product from the Lezama quarry and, moreover, a pure Biscayan. That, without forgetting that it left a trace of uncertainty about how the rojiblanca goal would look, which seemed armored for many years with its emergence. As if that were not enough, the same day that the ondarrutarra performed his first training as a ‘blue’ player, his relief, Iago Herrerín, was injured in a session in Lezama. In these circumstances, Alex Remiro he was presented to debut as a lion. But, in his pulse with the directive for the renewal, he did not have an unexpected variable: that of Unai Simon.
Athletic moved quickly and played back the Alava goalkeeper, who had been loaned to Elche. Surprisingly, even to himself, Berizzo He lined up as a starter in the first match of the 2018-19 League against Leganés. And although he would occasionally lose his position to the benefit of Herrerín, Simon it would end up curdling and becoming the tenant of the Bilbao meta. In these two years, he has more than shown the skills of a great goalkeeper. And it has made Kepa forget. The debate today is whether Simón is better than ondarrutarra. It doesn't matter too much. What is really relevant is that Athletic's goal, that position with so much legend behind it, is very well covered. And for many years, let's wait.