Rafa Marquez is going home to Atlas, the club for which he made his professional debut nearly 20 years ago as a 17-year-old product of the club’s youth academy, the Guadalajara-based Liga MX club announced on Sunday.
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After a year-and-a-half tour in Italy with Serie A’s Hellas Verona, for whom he signed following a complete career renaissance at the 2014 World Cup, Marquez’s legendary career, which has seen him play for six clubs in five countries — winning two UEFA Champions League and four La Liga titles at Barcelona; one Ligue 1 title at Monaco; and a pair of half-season titles at Leon — is nearing the inevitable: the end.
At the 2014 World Cup, Marquez famously became the first player in history to captain his country at four different World Cups.
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¡ES OFICIAL!@RafaMarquezMX estampó su firma y se convierte en jugador de Atlas para el Cl'16. #BienvenidoKáiser pic.twitter.com/Bccv4YLtRm
— Atlas FC (@AtlasFC) December 21, 2015
Now back in Mexico, Marquez joins a struggling side which finished 16th of 18 teams in the just-completed Apertura season. Atlas, who finished in the bottom-third of the league in terms of goals conceded this fall, now find themselves in danger of being relegated with another poor showing in the upcoming Clausura.