Arnau arrives at Valencia with Stuani’s blessing after emotional Girona goodbye | OneFootball

Arnau Martínez’s move to Valencia arrives with the public backing of his Girona mentor, Cristhian Stuani. The 23-year-old departs as an emblematic figure, leaving sadness and pride in equal measure after defending the shirt to the last day. His transfer ends a weeks-long saga in Valencia.

Stuani, the 39-year-old Uruguayan forward, had identified Arnau as one of the dressing-room leaders at Montilivi. He said in a post that Valencia are getting a great footballer, praising his talent, values and personality. The veteran is convinced Arnau will thrive at Mestalla.

Arnau replied by calling Stuani a father or brother figure, thanking him for his guidance. He described him as Girona’s greatest footballer on the pitch and a role model off it, and considered wearing the armband a privilege. He promised support and urged him to chase promotion.

Arnau joined Girona aged 15 after Barcelona’s academy, debuting for the first team at 17. He leaves having played 200 official matches, 121 in the top flight, scoring 11 goals.

His imprint goes beyond numbers. On 19 June 2022 in Tenerife he scored the goal that clinched promotion to the top flight. He later helped Girona finish third in LaLiga and qualify for the Champions League.

As he leaves, he reflects on an ending marked by relegation to Segunda and trusts the city’s tenacity to bring Girona back. He insists it is not a goodbye, calling Girona his home as he joins Valencia.

Source: Superdeporte

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”