Naples mourns the loss of Dries Mertens: Legend says goodbye!
Naples mourns the loss of Dries Mertens: Legend says goodbye!
Neapel, Italien - Dries Mertens, the Napoli legend, ended his active football career on June 24, 2025. The 38-year-old announced this decision on his social media channels. His last game took place as part of the farewell game of his former player Marek Hamšík, who is 37 years old. The SSC Napoli said goodbye to Mertens on Instagram with touching words: "Eternal emotions, an indissoluble bond. Thank you Cirù," what points to his nickname "Ciro" that the fans gave him.
Mertens' connection to Naples shows not only in his sporting achievements, but also in his personal life: he gave his son the name "Ciro". At the beginning of June, he was appointed honorary citizen by the city of Naples. There were emotional speeches and standing ovations at the ceremony in the town hall. Mayor Manfredi described Mertens as "more Neapolitan than many who were born here." In the event, the player expressed that Naples will always be his home for him.
career highlights
Mertens came to Napoli for 10 million euros from PSV Eindhoven and quickly developed into a key figure of the club. During his time in southern Italy, he overtook Marek Hamšík as the most goal -rich player in the history of the club and scored a total of 122 goals. Napoli won the Coppa Italia 2013-14 and the Supercoppa Italiana 2014. In the season in which he overtook the record, Mertens scored 13 goals in 30 games, six of them in seven European encounters.
Although Mertens in the past was associated with top clubs such as Chelsea and Inter Milan, he decided to stay with Napoli where he has been playing since 2013. The Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis was pleased with Mertens' commitment and described him as "Badass" and "Street Undin". In view of his age, de Laurentiis admitted that it was unusual to equip a 33-year-old striker with a new contract, but expressed the desire to keep Mertens in the club after his active career.
transfer processes in football
In the football landscape, contract negotiations play a crucial role. Player transfers require several steps, including the negotiation of contracts between the player, new club and the old association. The labor law aspects are complex, especially in German football. The transfer agreement regulates, among other things, the termination of the employment relationship and the payment of the transfer fee, while the residues and releases of the players must be submitted to the responsible leagues in good time. Especially with international transfers, residence and work permits are required, which harbors additional complexities.
The career of Dries Mertens in Naples is not only remembered because of his goals, but also because of its deep roots in the city and its football club. With his decision to end his active career, many emotions go hand in hand, especially for fans who have accompanied him over the years.
For more information about the career of Dries Mertens, read the reporting of OE24 and Sporting News . For insights into the labor law aspects of player changes, the article is recommended to DetailsOrt Neapel, Italien Quellen
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