Sergi Romero closed his stage as a footballer this weekend with a 5-0 victory against Muntanyesa and confirmed his retirement. The 35-year-old defender from Girona ends a long career in Tercera and nearby categories after prioritizing his work as an engineer in a pharmaceutical company in Girona and his family life.
The decision comes when he assures that he is still in good physical condition, a rare circumstance in farewells. Romero explained that he has opted to leave now and not extend his career until his body forced him to stop.
In his first words after announcing his goodbye, he summarized the underlying reason for the decision as follows. He wanted to retire now that he is still in good physical condition and end the stage on his own initiative.
"I wanted to leave football now that I am in good physical condition" - Sergi Romero, footballer from Girona
Romero prioritized his work in Girona and gave up competing at a higher level
The center-back explains that for some time he had weighed his job as an engineer, personal stability, and the demands of continuing to compete. That reflection led him to put aside the possibility of trying out in higher categories.
The decision, he adds, was not improvised. He made it after thinking about it for a long time and also talking about it at home, where he found resistance to hanging up his boots.
"It has been very well thought out. My wife is my number one fan and told me to continue. I even had to convince her to let me leave..." - Sergi Romero, footballer from Girona
His career took him through Cassà, Palamós, Premià, Figueres, and Peralada. At the latter club, he took on the role of captain and leader for almost fifteen years, during which time he established himself as one of the recognizable names of the team.
The play-offs against Sant Andreu and Girona B are among his best memories
When he reviews his career, Romero places the two play-off matches for promotion to Segunda RFEF that he played with Peralada against Sant Andreu and Girona B in a prominent place. These are the matches he points to as his best sporting memory at the club from Empordà.
During those years, he also coexisted with young footballers who later made the leap. Among them, he mentions Arnau Ortiz, currently at Atlètic B, Jordi Palacios, at Lokeren, and Sergi Solans, at Real Salt Lake City.
Romero also looks towards a later generation that no longer coincided with him in full within the club. There he places one of the pending matters that his time at Peralada leaves him.
"I have the thorn in my side of not having hooked another stage of the club. A couple or three years later Pere Pons, Gumbau, Sebas Coris, Carles Mas, Albert Vivancos came out, now there is Joel Roca, Arnau. Before it was more complicated" - Sergi Romero, footballer from Girona
His connection with football, in any case, does not disappear. He will continue going to Montilivi as a Girona fan and will occupy his usual seat in the Gol Sud.
Before consolidating his career in Tercera, Romero had started playing at the age of five at Bons Aires and went through Baby Cassà with Bertu Fernández and Súper Girona B.