Revealed: Why Pablo Garcia’s dream Arsenal transfer collapsed on deadline day as Racing Santander swoop in
The transfer brings an emotional end to Garcia’s 14-year association with Betis. The forward joined the club at the age of five but struggled for regular minutes under manager Manuel Pellegrini last season.
Garcia managed just two starts in Liga and one in the Europa League during the previous campaign. After leaving the training ground in tears on Tuesday, he penned a heartfelt open letter to the Betis supporters.
“I arrived at Betis when I was five years old. I’m leaving after almost fourteen years growing up with these thirteen stripes,” Garcia wrote. “Here I learned to play, to compete, to lose, to win and to dream. I went through all the categories of the Betis youth academy until fulfilling the dream of debuting with the first team.
“I experienced special goals and moments that will always stay with me. Betis has been my home since I was a child. And now, although it’s time to move on, there’s something that doesn’t change. I arrived as a Betis fan and I’m leaving as a footballer.”
