Dear Diego Lopez

Dear Diego Lopez,

I apologize in behalf of the Real Madrid fans who have ever disrespected you. Page over.

Thank you for these years at Real Madrid where you have been nothing but an amazing professional, a great goalkeeper and a wonderful person. To you, it never mattered how many minutes you played, you simple made the best out of them.

“Every minute I play for Real Madrid is a gift from heaven”

We need more people like you, not at Real Madrid but in the world. You came here facing a big challenge and put the team as the main priority regardless of the repercussion your signing had. You saw your family unfairly exposed and attacked yet you kept quiet and continued to work hard for the team. Not once did you step out of bounds. Not once did we hear anything negative come out of your mouth. Not once did you complain. Not once did you fight a teammate, a fan, a mister. Not once did you do anything to deserve any negative response. In fact, despite it all, you were always there for us. No matter how many minutes you played the day before, you knew no volunteer training. To you, all training was mandatory. The abs of steel speak for themselves.

I do not know how to otherwise thank you. Many of us feel that way and it is sad that you are leaving us but I do not blame you, rather I thank you for standing these years that must have been emotionally draining to you and your family, though I hope the toll is not big.

You said it three months ago “I will only leave Real Madrid if they boot me out”. It is unfortunate that the day has happened. That a son of Real Madrid, a canterano, has been kicked out without a reason and against his will. Unfortunately even in football today, it is all politics.

I wish you nothing but the best and I will forever keep many memories. Thank you for being who you are and for participating in the “Que significa ser Madridista 2013” video that did its round around the world, I am incredibly honoured to take part of it with you. That 2006-7 Liga, that 2013-14 Copa del Rey and La Décima have Diego Lopez written in them and no one will ever take that away from us.

The REAL Madrid family will miss you and Iria. Best wishes to little Zoe.