Joan Gonzalez23, he could fulfill almost every child's dream: become a professional footballer. However, his sports career, at a point that as his evolution was going to be to make the leap to a top team, has truncated. The Barcelona who played as a midfielder has announced his withdrawal for a heart problem. Everything was twisted during medical evaluations prior to season 2024 of the Leccedoctors detected a cardiac anomaly. Despite the exhaustive monitoring controls, the condition was not resolved, so the medical staff did not authorize him to continue playing.
Through an emotional video on social networks, who was a canterano of the FC Barcelonanow in the Lecce in which I was consolidated, he said that “it was one of the most difficult days.” In the whole of the series he played 64 games, with 2 goals and 4 assists. It rang for teams like Milan.
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The statement
“Today is one of the most difficult days, but also one of the most significant of my life, both personal and professional. After months of reflection and moments of uncertainty, the time has come to communicate that I put an end to my stage as a footballer.
I remember the game days as if they were yesterday: the touch of the wet lawn, the cries of the stands, the dry sound of the ball when hitting the boot, the nerves before the initial beep … moments that, now, I feel very inside because I know they will not return. There were days of tiredness, of errors, of getting angry with myself. But there were also laughs, goals, hugs, complicit looks with colleagues after a good game. I remember the changing rooms, the tips of the most veterans, the jokes, the conversations that only happen within a team. And I remember, above all, my family's eyes in the stands. And that unforgettable gesture to greet them after the game.
Everything that one day I saw as usual, today I know it was special. And that's why I want to thank. Thanks to the Lecce and its president for opening the doors of a wonderful club. Thanks to the coaches who trusted me, for their demands, their words and everything they have taught me, inside and outside the field. To the classmates, to the coaching staff, to the workers of the club and the Tifosi: I have felt your support in each step. You are not just spectators, you are part of this story that I have lived. Thank you for making me feel part of an authentic family.
I have felt very happy living in this city, which captivated me from day one. Its streets full of history, its light, its people so close and cozy … everything has made me feel at home. Thank you, Lecce, for each quiet walk through the center, for every greeting on the street, for every corner that is already part of me. It has been a privilege to live here. Lecce will always have a very special place in my heart. “
