Workshops greet with deep respect and gratitude to Rafael Perezwho announced his retirement from professional football after a vast career. At this very special moment, we wish to express our appreciation for your time at the Institution.
+ VIDEO: The defender’s decision:
In his announcement, Rafa shared the difficult decision made together with medical specialists, after going through an injury from which he was unable to fully recover:
“We have decided to leave professional activity. It is a strong decision, but I think it is the best for our lives. Last year we had a fairly serious injury from which we could not recover and it has left consequences… I have three operations on my ankle, they have left wear and tear, degenerative osteoarthritis, and we do not want to expose ourselves more.”
Your mark in Workshops
Pérez arrived at Talleres in January 2020, from Junior de Barranquilla. Over the course of almost three years, he became one of the team’s defensive pillars, earning the nickname “Muralla” for his leadership, hierarchy and regularity.
With the Albiazul shirt he played 112 games, scored 2 goals and was part of one of the Club’s most notable stages in national and international competitions:
- Qualification for the 2020 Copa Sudamericana.
- Third place in the Maradona Cup and in the 2021 League.
- Prominence in the historic campaign in the 2022 Copa Libertadores, where Talleres reached the quarterfinals for the first time.
- Consecutive runners-up in the 2021 and 2022 Argentine Cup.
Today, at the time of his final retirement, we value his serenity and maturity in facing a difficult step, and we celebrate his vocation to remain linked to sport: “It was a tough decision, but I’m calm. There were 17 years of professional football and I was able to fulfill all the dreams I had as a child.”he expressed.
