:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58510889/887203842.jpg.0.jpg)
In news that has been brewing for weeks now, Dortmund now see another player move on from the club. And this one looks to be a fan-favorite bidding adieu.
Confirmed today by the clubs, Spanish centerback Marc Bartra has moved to La Liga side Real Betis on a permanent transfer.
Emotionaler Abschied: @MarcBartra wechselt mit sofortiger Wirkung zu @RealBetis Sevilla in die erste spanische Liga. Der BVB zeigte in den Ablöseverhandlungen mit dem Tabellendreizehnten der „La Liga“ großes Entgegenkommen.
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) January 30, 2018
Alle Infos: https://t.co/SFFIeXY47M! pic.twitter.com/Eeefm6VaUg
Bartra only recently joined the club, arriving from Spanish giants FC Barcelona for over €7 million in July 2016. Since then, he has appeared in 51 total matches for the Black & Yellows and helped them to their DFB-Pokal win and an appearance in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. It wouldn’t be wrong to call him one of the better defenders on the squad since his acquisition, as an offensive defender with over five goals scored in such a short period of time at the club.
What he’ll probably be remembered for most as a Dortmund player was being the victim of the horrific attack in the April 2017 bus bombing. Bartra suffered a broken hand and had debris lodged in his arm from the attack, which was committed by German-Russian Sergei W. in an attempt to cause BVB shares to drop enough for him to make a profit. His trial is currently ongoing.
Unfortunately, even over 10 months since the incident, it appears that he’s still suffering mentally from the ordeal, which is totally understandable. In an article published yesterday by 11 Freunde, it’s understood that he still has nightmares about that moment and it’s not clear whether or not he’s fully recovered from that painful, horrifying moment.
On the field, it appears that he’s fallen way down the pecking order after the arrival of Peter Stöger. The Spanish defender hasn’t appeared in a single match since Stöger took over for the sacked Peter Bosz, and he has even been left out of the match-day squad entirely in the last three matches.
It’s too bad, because I really like what Bartra brings to the squad. He’s incredibly mobile for a defender, as we’ve seen with Bosz using him as a right back at later points of his short tenure, and he even banged in a couple of really nice goals this season. Plus he seems to be a great person to have around the club, so his personality will definitely be missed.
Good luck Bartra! We wish you nothing but the best!