Memphis Depay, the new star of Barcelona who asks not to be called by his surname because of a grudge against his father

06/19/2021 18:16

• Clarín.com

• sports

Updated 06/19/2021 6:16 PM

When asked the reason for his new project, he said that it seemed logical to him because he usually wears clothes that other people would not wear. Although the argument that appears on the

Memphis Depay

brand website

hides a deeper search. “We represent the new generation. The generation that creates cultural movements. The generation that is more than an athlete or a musician. We use our loudspeaker in a positive way. Proud of my Ghanaian and Dutch roots, I see the world as a 'playground' to be creative and bring about change ”.

The brand logo also refers to an objective beyond the commercial one.

As in the drawing, this is how he celebrates his goals, with the two index fingers pressing each ear, a gesture that links to the foundation he created in 2019

to help deaf children in Ghana

.

"I feel like I was raised in the jungle," says the new Barcelona player.

Memphis Depay is part of the Netherlands team that is contesting the European Championship.

Photo: REUTERS

He was born in Moordrecht, the Netherlands, 27 years ago.

And from the age of 4 he began to detach himself from his surname.

None of his shirts say Depay

because he doesn't forget that his father abandoned him

.

"The break is irremediable," he says.

He has tried to contact me, but I have no relationship with him or his family. "

He never wanted to explain in detail what happened.

But Dennis Depay, of Ghanaian origin, one day left and saw neither him nor his mother, Cora Schensema, again.

"Don't call me Depay, call me Memphis."

That initial environment that qualifies as jungle reflects it on his body.

The face of a lion is impregnated in his skin on every inch of his back and is one of the most iconic tattoos in the world of football.

In fact, it is the image that Barcelona chose to announce their signing this Saturday.

“The lion - Memphis marks in

The Players Tribune

- is for me the king of the jungle.

I always stood up even though it was all very hard ”.

He was not as successful in his facet as a musician as he was in choosing a tattoo, since in 2018 he published a rap song that was mocked for the simplicity of his lyrics.

Beyond its history off the court, there is a journey to be told on the green grass.

And that he seduced Ronald Koeman, who already knows him from the national team and had tried to take him to the culé team in the previous transfer market.

Lion Heart pic.twitter.com/6Rx4F2Mddo

- FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) June 19, 2021

He has played 66 games with the orange shirt (he is part of the squad that is playing the Eurocup) and scored 27 goals, 11 with Koeman as coach.

Memphis' upward career began at

PSV Eindhoven

at the hands of an old Barcelona acquaintance, Phillip Cocu, who made him the spearhead of his team to win the Dutch League in 2015 after a seven-year drought.

The forward was also confirmed as one of the sensations of European football, since with only 21 years he was also the top scorer of that championship, with 22 goals in 30 games.

That campaign brought him to Manchester United in exchange for 34 million euros.

And the Red Devils opened the door with a symbolic welcome: the number 7 shirt worn by George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others. The expectation was as great as the frustration: it only lasted a season and a half at Old Trafford , with just 7 goals in 53 games.

Although at that stage he captured three titles: a League Cup, an FA Cup and a Europa League.

Memphis Depay celebrates with Wayne Rooney at Manchester United.

AP Photo

In January 2017 he landed at

Olympique Lyon

and was another catapult.

He found in France the calm that he never had in England.

And the returns were immediate.

He played 178 games and was the leader of a team in which he scored 76 goals and reached the semifinals of the 2019-2020 Champions League (eliminated by Bayern Munich) and the final of the French Cup that year in which he lost to the almighty PSG.

Koeman failed on his first try.

But now he succeeded.

With the arrival of Memphis, plus the arrival of Kun Agüero, the culé team will seek to improve one of the shortcomings it suffered in the forgettable season that left: it scored just 20 goals.

The uncertainty is placed in the future of Lionel Messi, whose contract ends on June 30 and it is not known if he will continue in the institution.

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