Gonzalo Higuain: a tribute to El Pipita

Higuain admitted in the days that followed that he had seriously been considering his future at the club, but was convinced to stay thanks partly to the outpouring of affection of the fans towards him that night.

However, just over a year following that memorable night at the Bernabeu, Higuain has announced his decision to leave Real Madrid. It’s been a difficult season for El Pipita, who was slaughtered by the fans and press after missing a one-on-one chance against Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the Champions League semifinal. Years of not being fully appreciated by the club took its toll, and led Higuain to say the following:

“I wanted to go last year but I was convinced to stay by the fans, coach and my teammates. But this year, I changed my mind. It is too tense at the club. I made the decision with my family.

The club knows I want to go. These seven years have been intense, heavy. I’ve thought hard before making this decision. It’s hard but I want a new team, new challenges. This is because of the other things I do not want to talk about.”

By “the other things”, Higuain ostensibly was referring to his constant under-appreciation by club president Florentino Perez, and the fact that he has been made the scapegoat for Real Madrid’s inability to win their long-awaited 10th Champions League title. It is undeniable that Higuain’s performances in the Champions League – 8 goals and 4 assists in 48 games – have been hugely disappointing. However, it’s easy to forget that while it feels like he has been around forever, he is only 25 and still to reach his peak as a striker. It’s also easy to forget that his goalscoring rate in La Liga for Real Madrid is similar to that of Brazilian legend Ronaldo.

Higuain may yet flourish in the Champions League in a team where he is made the focal point of the attack. At the time of writing, his most likely destination appears to be Serie A champs Juventus, even though there are several other clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester City, who are understood to be vying for his services.

Higuain arrived at Real Madrid a virtual nobody, and was actually expected to play for the reserve team rather than first team. However, his performances in training forced coach Fabio Capello to thrust him into the big time, and he never looked back. He now leaves Real Madrid a world-class striker, the club’s 14th-highest all-time goalscorer, and the starting centre-forward for the Argentine national team alongside his good friend Lionel Messi.

Real Madrid will surely regret letting go of Higuain just before he hit his peak years. After bringing the Argentine to Europe and overseeing his development into a world-class striker, most of us hoped that the club would do what it took to hold on to him and reap the benefits of his talents. However, that isn’t the case. Apparently, Higuain simply isn’t Galactico enough to be appreciated at Real Madrid.

What is perhaps most unfortunate is that Higuain will not get the kind of farewell he truly deserves. His final goal came in Real Madrid’s concluding La Liga fixture last weekend against Real Mallorca. Higuain, who wore the captain’s armband in the absences of Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos, didn’t bother celebrating.

He leaves as he arrived, with little fanfare.

Higuain’s sad expression after the goal was a stark contrast to the ebullient celebrations we have come to expect from the likeable Argentine. Perhaps, he was sad because he knew it was his last goal at the club that turned him into a star. Perhaps, he was sad at years of being under-valued and criticized despite his exemplary attitude and league-winning performances. Most likely, it was a combination of the two.

Following the game, Higuain told journalists in the mixed zone that he would be leaving, setting off a flurry of rumours over who Real Madrid would sign to replace him. Luis Suarez of Liverpool and Edinson Cavani of Napoli appear to be the top targets. Whoever his replacement is, they will have an extremely difficult task in their hands, matching his performances and winning the fans’ adoration like he did.

El Pipita will be sorely missed. Here’s wishing him success wherever he goes, at a club that will hopefully appreciate his talents and personality more than Real Madrid could.

Here are three of his best goals for Real Madrid: