Roger Ibanez, in his first presentation with Atalanta in 2019, made the fans skip a beat. Sensational shot in front of the area in Kharkhiv, against Shakhtar, in the decisive match for the eventual passage of the group. Everything had gone well, even if Ibanez had never managed to become a Nerazzurri starter, with Roma then deciding to bet on him for over 10 million euros. It didn’t go bad: Al Ahli paid him 26 million plus bonuses in 2023, with Mourinho even complaining about his absence last autumn.
At the time of the transfer, Ibanez justified itself like this. “I wanted another challenge. I was among the last to arrive in the SPL and the fact of having been preceded by so many great names made me think that the Saudi Pro League has the technical and economic potential to become a great championship. Today in the team with me there were three players who won the Champions League, and not just years ago: Firmino, Mendy and Mahrez, the reigning champion. For me this will become a great championship, and I’m happy to be here from the beginning “.
And to those who asked him for money, he responded like this. “It’s clear, it’s normal. But there’s more. Or at least that’s my impression. Did you see what atmosphere there was during the match? Spectacular. And we’ve already talked about the champions. There are great teams, very followed. And I’ll add one thing: the important thing is to play football in a competitive environment and here I think it will be like that.” Roger Ibanez turns 26 today.