The Ciudad Real Madrid pavilion was the setting for the emotional tribute and farewell ceremony for Sergio Rodríguez, one of the great legends of European basketball, Real Madrid and also Olimpia Milano.
Chacho was accompanied by president Florentino Pérez, Real Madrid’s honorary president José Martínez Pirri, and several board members.
After an emotional video with the great moments of Sergio Rodríguez’s career, the president of Real Madrid took the floor and said: ‘Dear Sergio, dear Chacho: we Madridistas are living today a day of intense emotions and for this reason we all want to offer you our immense gratitude for what you have represented for Real Madrid and for the basketball world. For me, as president of Real Madrid, it was a great honour to have a player like you. Because beyond the titles and what you have achieved with this coat of arms and this jersey, we will always remember your way of being and your affection.”
“We all appreciated your enormous talent, your magic and your way of understanding basketball. You have the admiration and affection of all of us who love the sport. And you did it because you were different on the basketball court and because, in addition, you were an exemplary player with great professionalism”.
Sergio Rodríguez: “Today I say goodbye to something I deeply love: being a professional basketball player.
“It is a real pleasure to be here. Today I say goodbye to something I deeply love: being a professional basketball player. But first of all I want to thank Real Madrid for giving me the opportunity to say goodbye in this house, in a unique environment and to do so after a wonderful season with my family, my friends and many of the people who have been fundamental to my professional career.”
“President Florentino, thank you very much for the commitment and enthusiasm that the club puts into basketball. The success of the last few years is the result of a long work to achieve these goals. From when I joined the club in 2010 to today, the impetus for the basketball section has been enormous. The spectacular structure in which we find ourselves today was created for the development and improvement, not only of the first team but also of the youth teams, and is a world reference, on a par with the best NBA structures, which makes Real Madrid a reference club in the recruitment of talent”.
“In these eight years that I have been part of Real Madrid, I have perceived your presence as something vital to have clear objectives, which coming from you can only be to win and to do it with the values that Real Madrid represents. Thank you very much for everything, president’.
After retracing his entire professional career, Sergio Rodríguez closed his speech talking about Real Madrid: “I wanted to leave at the club that had the greatest impact on me as a sportsman and as a person until the end. The place I feel most identified with: Real Madrid. When you sign for Real Madrid you know you take on an enormous responsibility, not only towards your teammates, the coaches and staff of the club, but also towards the millions of fans who constantly follow us around the world and its history. I was able to experience two incredible periods at this club, winning a total of 17 titles, including two Euroleague titles’.
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