Updated January 24th, 2020 at 17:07 IST
Chicharito bids teary-eyed farewell to 'European dream' for MLS success with LA Galaxy
Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez broke down while informing his parents of his move to the MLS. The Mexico international will fill Zlatan Ibrahimovic's shoes in LA
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"Whether we like it or not, we are retiring from the European Dream," a teary-eyed Javier Hernandez broke the news of his move to the MLS to his parents. LA Galaxy had just come to an agreement with LaLiga club Sevilla for a move for Chicharito. The move to the MLS would spell an end of a career in Europe spanning just under a decade. Chicharito broke down on a call with his parents as he branded the move to the MLS as the "beginning of retirement".
Also Read | How Chicharito's Signing Represents A Major Coup For LA Galaxy And The MLS
Chicharito bids teary-eyed farewell to European career as he completes MLS move
Javier Hernandez found his playing time cut down in recent months at Sevilla. In fact, LA Galaxy's general manager Dennis te Kloese sent a text message to Javier Hernandez's agent Lorenzo Roman Garcia after Chicharito was repeatedly left on the Sevilla bench during his time in Spain. That text message then led to a conversation between the two. "How did Javi take that he wasn’t used in the game'?” Te Kloese said in the conversation. Chicharito's agent, in turn, replied by saying "Oh, you wouldn’t believe it. He wants to go to L.A."
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If you're focusing on Chicharito's "start of retirement" quote, you're living life wrong. Rare to see this kind of raw honesty from an athlete speaking to his parents at the end of a 10-year run in European soccer. pic.twitter.com/KpQAXE79nj
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) January 23, 2020
Chicharito MLS move: Ex-Man United man's signing represents major coup for MLS
The MLS has acquired a reputation of sorts as the destination for the more popular football players approaching the twilight of their careers. The likes of David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard, David Villa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic chose to move to the MLS after successful spells in Europe. While Javier Hernandez may not be spoken of in the same breath as these players, but the 'Chicharito MLS' story has a lot more depth to it than a mere swansong. There have been reports that LA Galaxy have sold close to twice as many season tickets as they did in the days following the announcement of the signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
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First day at the office for @CH14_ 💼 pic.twitter.com/sWuxjY6cFN
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) January 24, 2020
Despite finding himself spending more and more time on the Sevilla bench, Javier Hernandez still remains a major draw for Mexican fans. Chicharito started out in Liga MX with his hometown club Guadalajara before he caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson. An argument can be made that he is Mexico's greatest footballing export. His arrival at LA Galaxy, therefore, is bound to boost MLS viewership in Mexico.
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Published January 24th, 2020 at 17:07 IST
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