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And it became true. César Montes will be the new player of Espanyol de Barcelona for the second half of the 2022-23 season of LaLiga Santander. Through their social media, Rayados confirmed the departure of the defender, who was one of the standout players for the Mexican national team in the 2022 World Cup. He is the first signing for the 'Periquitos' and, before traveling to Mexico City, the 'Cachorro' acknowledged that he has "mixed feelings" for everything he experienced at the Mexican club.
César Montes spoke to the press at the Monterrey airport. "My wife asked me, 'Are you sad?' and not sad but with mixed feelings of being in the city for 8 and a half years, achieving great things, meeting people who helped me succeed and achieve my goal. It's a feeling of nostalgia for so many years since this is where I started my family," he said.
The 25-year-old defender revealed that he takes with him from Rayados the five titles he won: one Liga MX, two Copa MX, and two Concacaf Champions League. "The five championships are the best part of this memory and scoring the first goal in the inauguration of the BBVA Stadium was unforgettable, it will forever remain in the history of the institution," he added.
Regarding his goal at Espanyol de Barcelona, César Montes emphasized that he is excited to play in one of the most competitive leagues in the world. "The idea is to accumulate minutes, compete at the highest level, with the best players, and seek to achieve great things with the institution that has now given me confidence and it's my turn to respond on the field," he concluded.
It is worth mentioning that, with the arrival of César Montes in Spain, Mexico will have three representatives in LaLiga. Let's remember that Jesús Corona and Andrés Guardado play for Sevilla and Real Betis, respectively. While in the Spanish Second Division, there are Mexicans Ian Carrillo, Daniel Aceves, and Marcelo Flores.
Rayados says goodbye to 'Cachorro'
In a statement released on their website, Rayados dedicated beautiful farewell words to Montes. "César will now fulfill another one of his dreams as a professional footballer, which is to play in European football, and he will do so at RCD Espanyol de Barcelona, the club where Héctor Moreno played until a few months ago, who until today was his teammate at Rayados," the statement said.
"At Club de Futbol Monterrey Rayados, we are proud of all the achievements of 'Cachorro', and we hope that he continues to achieve success in his future, in Life and on the Field," concluded the Mexican club.
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