Sergio Romero's Redemption
Boca Juniors wouldn't be in the final if it weren't for him, period. But to witness Sergio Romero becoming a pivotal figure and even a talisman on the road to the seventh title, he had to go through a painful process of redemption.
He became a hero for Argentina in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but then came a dark period for the goalkeeper. With the national team, he lost three finals and lived in the shadow of David de Gea at Manchester United for an extended period until his knee issues emerged.
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In 2021, he became a free agent from the 'Red Devils' and signed with the newly promoted Venezia, a team where he once again suffered from injuries, missing a significant part of the season. He even contemplated retirement until he received a call from Juan Román Riquelme.
As he himself said, he arrived at Boca Juniors when nobody believed in him. He underwent arthroscopic surgery that kept him sidelined for three months, and after 158 days away from the pitch, he finally made his debut with the Xeneize.
'Chiquito' is anything but 'small' when it comes to his penalty-saving performances with Boca Juniors, as he has stopped six penalties in three shootouts the team participated in, a milestone that no one had achieved before.
Now, after eliminating Palmeiras at the stadium where he was a hero with Argentina in 2014 against the Netherlands, he returns to the Maracaná, where he lost the first of three finals with his national team. It's a scenario that could mark the end of a redemption cycle for the goalkeeper.