After signing for Al Arabi more than a year ago, Marco Verratti has not played a single minute as a player for the Italian soccer team.. His departure to Qatar, added to the arrival of Luciano Spalletti at the head of the Azzurra a few months earlier, have prevented Italian fans from being able to enjoy his talent in a match with their national team.
Despite the great performance shown for years both in the Italian team and in Paris Saint Germain, Marco Verratti made the decision to head to Qatar at the end of 2023. The Italian decided abandon the highest European level to sign for a much lower league as far as performance is concerned. The most surprising thing about this decision is that Verratti was only 31 years old when he made it. It is increasingly common for many of the best soccer players in the world to make the decision to end their sporting career in minor leagues such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the MLS.
The goal of most of these players is clear: try to take advantage of his last years as a professional to sign million-dollar contracts. However, more and more footballers are making this decision sooner than many expect, something that the most football purists don’t quite like. A clear example of this situation was how much people talked about in Spain about the signing of Gabri Veiga for the Saudi Al-Ahli, or the departure of Riqui Puig to Los Angeles.
His departure from Paris
Something similar happened in Paris when Marco Verratti announced his decision to leave PSG to sign for Qatari club Al Arabi in September last year. Although it is true that, after leaving the club, the Italian confessed that it was Luis Enrique himself who opened the exit door for him; it is clear that The economic factor had a lot to do with the decision which the Italian midfielder would end up taking. And Verratti signed a contract with the Qataris worth 30 millioneuros annuallya figure that is unlikely to be matched by any club in Europe.
“I had a conversation with him and he told me that I was not part of his plans.”confessed the Italian in an interview given to L’Équipe after his departure from the team. Despite this, Verratti himself claimed to continue maintaining an excellent relationship with the Spanish coach: “I didn’t see it as a personal decision and I have nothing against him. Luis Enrique wanted to change and I think he needed other players.”
His possible return to Italy
It is very likely that one of the reasons that led Luciano Spalletti to make the decision to not calling up Marco Verratti with the Italian teamis precisely the fact that the midfielder is playing in a lower category league. A decision that did not have to be easy for the Azzurra coach, and that has led Verratti to miss major competitions like the last Euro Cup held in Germany.
Marco Verratti has never hidden his desire to return to Italy to finish his sporting career there.: “I think that before retiring I will play for Pescara again,” he commented a few years ago. In addition to his already well-known desire to return to the club that saw him grow as a footballer, and with which he debuted in Italian Serie B, It is possible that his absence from the Azzurra has awakened in Verratti the desire to return to Europe sooner than he thought.. There are many clubs that could be interested in incorporating the Italian midfielder into their ranks, although the millionaire signing he currently has in the Qatari team would have to be reduced. His possible signing for Inter Milan sounds strongly to reinforce their midfield in the winter market.
