Time to say goodbye

If there's a main theme during the last seasonal games for which it's a good idea to watch a match without meaning, that is certainly that of the farewells: who leaves football forever or who leaves the team where he has played for years. And the execution is almost always the same: fans in tears, custom chants, and banners, sometimes some choreos for the most deserving. And also special jerseys (like the one worn by Real Sociedad players for a legend like Xabi Prieto), field laps, curious hashtags and sobbing talks. Sunday was the last round of the Premier League and, as announced for months, it was time to say goodbye to Arsène Wenger, who left Arsenal after 22 years with a 1-0 victory at Huddersfield. But obviously it was not the only farewell that we talked about a lot: we tried to summarize a bit of the most significant of the last weekend, but not only.

InfinitIniesta

No, we have not forgotten Don Andrès Iniesta's farewell: after the last Champions League match against Roma, the Catalan midfielder will play their last match in La Liga (number 441) on Sunday against Real Sociedad, in front of the Camp Nou public. Do you remember how many liters of tears had rained during Francesco Totti's farewell a year ago? Well, we expect a similar day also in Barcelona, where in the meantime a special jersey has launched, where number 8 gets horizontally and turns into the symbol of infinity. Oh yes, because the legend of Barça does not withdraw, but will go to play in Asia: China or Japan in its destiny.

And what is Gigi doing?

Iniesta retires, another Spanish football legend retires: no, we're not talking about Angel Rangel, one of Swansea's columns (at the time, of Swansealona) who played last Sunday with the Welsh club who bought it for a few hundred thousand euros in 2007. We are speaking about to Fernando El Niño Torres, who have just two last matches with the shirt of the colchoneros to play: the Europa League final against Marseille and the home match against Eibar next Sunday. Buffon, on the other hand, seems to have finally clear every doubt on his future: he announced a press conference for Thursday morning in which he probably will unveil his intentions. Does he say stop or decide once again to continue to play?

#ThanksMotty

Among the many, next year the Premier League will be miss Yaya Tourè and Robert Huth, who has already greeted last week: the Ivorian midfielder will leave Manchester City where he had since months finished his sporting relationship with a party in front to his fans in which brother Kolo also took part; the 34-year-old German defender, who hasn't played so much this season with Leicester, will remain forever in the memory of his fans for winning the title with the Foxes. But the one who will leave a deep void is not a footballer but a commentator: John Motson has, in fact, hung the nail caps after 50 years at the service of the BBC with the last Sunday spent telling about Crystal Palace-West Bromwich. A real institution in England has participated at 10 World Cups, 10 Europeans Cups and over 200 matches of the English National team, for this he was awarded a special BAFTA Awards.

Kiessling in the stands 

First of all, he comes into the pitch in the second half to help Bayer Leverkusen, because they need goals to increase the goal difference and get a place in the next Champions League. After the final whistle, surrendered for not being able to help his teammates, Stefan Kiessling has spent among fans the last moments of a Bayer player, with whom he has played the last 12 seasons scoring 162 goals. A very rare image, a symbol of a relationship as intense as it is natural for which no service of public order has been served.

Thiago Motta says stop with football but will stay at PSG

We have watched him play for seasons in Italy with the jerseys of Genoa and Inter, and then with the Italy national team: Thiago Motta was one of the most refined and probably underrated midfielder in European football in the last years. With the PSG he won everything he could win, within the national borders means, and became close with President Al Khelaifi, so much so that during his farewell party, last Saturday, the Qatari businessman promised that it will remain at 2000% in the club as coach of the Under 19. A party, in fact, celebrated with some t-shirts worn by his teammates and with all the fans of the Park of the Princes excited as much as him, who hardly and in tears, was able to pronounce 'Ici c'est Paris' for the last time with the microphone.

Carras, the last of an era

The career of Michael Carrick, the English midfielder and captain of Manchester United who played the last home match with the Red Devils on Sunday, against Watford, after having declared some time ago to suffer heart problems, will continue in the club's board. Carrick will continue with the club that brought him in 2006, joining the coaching staff of Josè Mourinho. But what he really left speechless was the recognition by his former teammates, to prove the fact that Carrick has always been a true leader as fundamental as silent. A character from another era that we will regret all, that even during his farewell discourse showed an enviable maturity and lucidity. But for him, it will not be the last ever match, as the FA Cup final against Chelsea still awaits him. 

Good job, Krasnodar gardeners!

The most original celebration of the weekend is without doubts the Krasnodar one. The Russian team has decided to put on the pitch the numbers of Andreas Granqvist and Joaozinho, who will leave the club at the end of the season. The former Swedish defender Genoa after five seasons, the Brazilian after seven, have shared great moments with the Russian club as for example the European season in the Europa League, becoming protagonists again this year of the conquest of the less noble European placement.