Farewell to Iñigo Martínez at Barcelona: first words from the Basque player and message from Lamine Yamal

Iñigo Martínez's departure from FC Barcelona is now imminent. The Basque defender will be a new player for Al Nassr, from Saudi Arabia, thus leaving the Azulgrana entity with an important void at a sporting level that we will have to see how Hansi Flick will try to fill with the assets he has in his squad.

In turn, the one from Ondarroa leaves a void on the emotional level, being one of the most beloved players within the locker room. A footballer whose voice of leadership was always heard and respected.

It is expected that the one from Ondarroa will soon join the dynamics of the Knights of Najd, after passing the corresponding medical tests that will formalize his signing for the Arab team, which will play a friendly match against UD Almería on August 10 at the Power Horse Stadium, home of the indálico team.

Iñigo Martínez and his brief farewell to FC Barcelona

In statements to SPORT, before embarking on his trip to Faro, Portugal —where Al Nassr is currently doing a pre-season stage— he acknowledged that "it has been a very busy but beautiful few days". He also explained his feelings about the farewell that his teammates gave him, first at a group level in a morning event at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, where even President Joan Laporta was present.

In addition to that, the former Athletic Club player starred in an intimate meal with several elements of the first team, among which were names like Dani Olmo, Eric García, Pedro González, Ferran Torres and Oriol Romeu.

Regarding these demonstrations of affection, Iñigo admitted:

"The farewell with my teammates has been very beautiful and I wish them the best"

Finally, the Spanish international took the opportunity to send a short but heartfelt message to the Azulgrana fans:

"I can only thank them for these two years that have been wonderful"

This is how Lamine Yamal reacted to Iñigo Martínez's departure

At the level of his teammates, there have not been too many reactions to the still unconfirmed farewell of Iñigo Martínez. However, some are already beginning to manifest themselves. The first was Lamine Yamal, who from his Instagram left a clear and concise message: "Thank you for everything, my captain", accompanied by a photo of the Basque carrying him in the celebration of the achievement of the Copa del Rey 2024/25.

Storie de Lamine Yamal despidiendo a Iñigo Martínez

One of the first of what is expected to be a large number of messages to say goodbye to Iñigo Martínez, without a doubt one of the most heartfelt farewells that are remembered in recent times. All this, both because of the unexpected nature of his departure —since he was part of the backbone of Hansi Flick's project—, and because the Basque knew how to win the affection of his own, establishing himself as one of the veteran voices of the locker room and a clear example of closeness, determination and professionalism at the service of the club.