Buenos Aires, December 30 (NA) -- Argentine goalkeeper, naturalized Chilean Gabriel Arias said goodbye to Racing, with a statement in which he affirmed that it was a "privilege" to have been captain and champion with the "Academy". Additionally, according to what the Argentine News Agency learned, the 38-year-old goalkeeper thanked his family, teammates, leaders, club staff, and fans, whom he described as "the great protagonists of this story". Arias had arrived at the club in 2018 after passing through Unión La Calera of Chile and having had a four-year cycle at Defensa y Justicia, a club where he began to gain popularity in Argentine football.
Being a big part of Racing's history, and after seven years defending its colors, goalkeeper Gabriel Arias said goodbye to the "Academy". "Goodbyes are never easy, and even less so when it's about leaving a place where we were very happy," the Chilean began his message, stating that he would not have believed it if, when he was a child, someone had told him that he was going to be Racing's goalkeeper for seven years, although "dreams are meant to come true". Arias considered it a "privilege" to have been able to turn that dream into a reality, highlighting the joy it gave him to have been captain and champion in a club that "marked him as a professional and as a human being", for which he thanked all the people who helped him get to his current situation.
Starting with his wife, his children, and his family, whom he valued for being by his side "in every beautiful moment and in every difficult day", the goalkeeper thanked former president Víctor Blanco, current president Diego Milito, head coach Eduardo "Chacho" Coudet, and goalkeeping coach Fernando Gayoso for betting on him to be in charge of the goal of "a giant club like Racing". Additionally, Arias especially mentioned those who were the team's references at the time of his arrival, defenders Leonardo Sigali and Iván Pillud, and forward Lisandro López, for being the first to welcome him and make him feel "as if he were at home".
The goalkeeper with a past in the Chilean national team also remembered all the footballers, staff, medical and technical teams, and club workers with whom he shared during the seven years he belonged to the Avellaneda club. Finally, Gabriel Arias thanked the fans for showing him so much affection over time and for leaving him moments that will remain "forever" in his heart, stating that he is leaving "calmly" for having put all his work, demand, and commitment "to always take Racing to the top".
Arias said goodbye to the "Academy" having arrived at the club in mid-2018, after playing 254 matches and having won the 2018/2019 Superliga and its respective Champions Trophy, as well as the 2022 Trophy, the 2023 International Super Cup, and, on the international front, the 2024 South American Cup and this year's South American Recopa.
