“The hardest farewell” – Raphaël Guerreiro announces Dortmund departure

Portuguese international Raphaël Guerreiro has confirmed he is to leave German club Borussia Dortmund at the end of his contract this summer.

Guerreiro has spent seven years at the Westfalenstadion after joining from French side Lorient, becoming one of Dortmund’s key players and amassing 224 appearances for the club. However, at the age of 29, Guerreiro will now have a wide range of options when deciding where to continue his career.

Dortmund had hoped to end the season in glory with a first Bundesliga title in 11 years when they took to the field against Mainz on Saturday as league leaders. However, Guerreiro and his team were held to a 2-2 draw, costing them a long-awaited German title and allowing Bayern Munich to retain the title.

Guerreiro scored one of Dortmund’s goals on Sunday, making it six goals and 13 assists from 36 appearances in what was another highly-productive campaign. Overall, the Seleção man has found the net an impressive 40 times across his 224 matches with Der BvB, where he has twice won the German Cup as well as the German Super Cup. 

“Liebe BvB Fans. After 7 amazing years, It’s time for me to say goodbye to you all with a lot of sadness,” Guerreiro wrote. “The memories i made here taught me a lot on myself on the pitch but also helped me a lot knowing what I really love in football.

“I have always been myself while learning and improving here and I will never forget the love I got from the fans and my team mates during these 7 years. I had the chance to play with some fantastic Players!

“These farewells are obviously the hardest of my career according to the thrill I took while playing in this Wonderful Stadium.

“Trust me, I will never forget the feeling to play for this club and defend BVB Colours!
Thank you!”

Guerreiro has been linked with a vast array of clubs across the continent. Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Galatasaray, Nice and others have been suggested as possible destinations in July when he becomes a free agent.

 by Sean Gillen

@SeanGillen9