"
I think the time has come to stop the ball...
" were the words with which
Gonzalo
Lavandina
Bergessio
opened his emotional farewell message to football.
At
39 years old
, the Argentine forward who last played for Tristán Suárez decided to retire from professional activity and give way to a new stage in his personal life.
"
Mixed feelings invade me
; on the one hand, the sadness and bitterness of not being able to play football professionally and on the other, the satisfaction and pride of having been able to develop the sport that I like the most at the highest level for 22 years" , developed the attacker, who has more than
700 games and 238 goals
under his belt.
And he added: "I remember that moment in Platense when, at only 17 years old, I had to debut in the first team, unaware of all the good things that football and life had in store for me."
Along these lines, Lavandina took the opportunity to show his gratitude towards the
dozen clubs in which he had the opportunity to leave his scoring contribution
forever.
"I want to thank each club that gave me the confidence to defend their colors Sociedad de Fomento Fernando Hidalgo, Platense, Instituto de Córdoba, Racing, San Lorenzo, Benfica from Portugal, Saint Etienne from France, Catania from Italy, Atlas from Mexico, Vélez , Nacional of Uruguay and Tristán Suarez", continued the attacker characterized by his imposing physique.
Gonzalo Bergessio will play the last season of the B Nacional with Tristán Suárez.
Photo: Tristán Suárez Press.
Just as he did not forget the teams that allowed him to build his career, Lavandina did not forget the people closest to him either.
Among them, he mentioned his parents, the people in charge of taking care of him when he was little, "hardcore" friends, his representative and David Suárez, the one who encouraged Bergessio to try out in a club for the first time.
However, the one who received a special mention was Daniela Recupero, his partner.
"Above all things (thank) my wife, for always being there, for being my support and giving me my most precious treasures: my children Valentino, Francesca and María, who are my everything and whom I love deeply," said Bergessio.
And finally, before "starting a new stage in life," Lavandina left his token of affection "to all the soccer fans" who always encouraged him, "because without them nothing would exist."
"
Thank you and see you always
," the player closed.
See this post on Instagram
A post shared by Gonzalo Bergessio (@lava.bergessio)
Possibly, where they keep the best memories of Bergessio, in addition to his beloved Platense, it is in
San Lorenzo
and
Nacional
, where he achieved the best scoring averages of his career.
In the Ciclón he was able to score
26 goals in 70 games played
during 2008 and 2009, highlighting that double in the Monumental for the second leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores, where by achieving a 2-2 draw, Boedo's team eliminated by goal visiting River, despite having two fewer players.
Then, the forward would have a slow pace during 2016 and 2017.
2nd Goal by Gonzalo "Lavandina" Bergessio against River Plate.
Round of 16, Libertadores 2008. Historic.
pic.twitter.com/XmH1By9Hbk
— Expe (@Expefutbol) May 10, 2023
The Montevideo club would be where Bergessio, in addition to getting tired of scoring goals, also got tired of scoring titles.
During a spell that extended from 2018 to 2021, in
191 games Lavandina lifted eight trophies with El Bolso and took the ball to the net on 91 occasions
.
He even became the captain of the team.
His stay in Catania, with Maxi López and Icardi as close friends and a tragic end
Beyond having left his mark in South America, in Europe they also remember Bergessio.
Especially in
Catania in Italy
, a club where he achieved his best performance during his time in the Old Continent, scoring
37 goals in 113 games played
.
The club that is currently sailing through the waters of the third division of Calcio, at the time knew how to have an Argentine attack duo between 2011 and 2014. Lavandina during those years knew how to be a partner and
close friend of Maxi López
.
Bergessio, Maxi López and Icardi, the trident of Argentine friends that broke networks in Italy.
This friendship inevitably led to Bergessio meeting
Mauro Icardi
, passing through Sampdoria and López's best friend at that time.
The Argentine connection of said trident reached the point that they spend their days in Italy seeing each other every day and even sharing vacation destinations with their families.
The formation of that group of friends was corrupted when the scandalous infidelity of
Wanda Nara
, wife of Maxi López, with Mauro Icardi came to light.
And during that media situation, Bergessio decided to defend his attacking partner.
"Right now I'm benching my friend Maxi
, regardless of whether the gilada speaks," the forward wrote through his Twitter account (now X), when he was consulted about the situation.
Furthermore, a few weeks ago, Wanda Nara gave an interview where she revealed what the beginnings of her romance with her current husband were like, with the coincidence that
the model decided to tell an anecdote in which Bergessio may have been present
.
"We were very friends. He told me who he was dating and I told him that I was separated.
He told me that he had four cell phones because he divided the women by continents
. Crazy. We were friends, but I already started operating," she recalled. the also television host.
The group of Argentinian friends enjoying one of their frequent boat rides.
And he added: "Once I invited him to a boat where there were several of us,
I'm not going to name anyone so as not to hurt sensitivities. My ex-husband was there, which is the famous photo where we are all there
. And at one point, Mauro left me his phone number. and went to look for a speaker."
"At that time he had two telephones. One was the post office, which the managers called him; and the other was the 'chongas', where he had all the cats. I looked one way, I looked the other and I threw it at him. into the water," Wanda closed.
Living at that time near the Amalfi Coast, the Argentine group of friends usually chose a private boat to relax as a place to spend their days off.
That was where the moment "of the famous photo" that Wanda recounted occurred, with the presence of a Lavandina Bergessio who today only thinks about his future away from the courts.