PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Timbers are transferring longtime star Diego Valeri to Lanus, the Argentinian club where he started his career, the Timbers announced Thursday. Valeri and Portland mutually agreed to the transfer, the team said in a news release.
The Timbers and Lanus have also agreed to play a friendly match at Providence Park in 2023, during which Valeri will play one half for each team. When Valeri retires, he'll become an ambassador for the Timbers, the team said.
The news of Valeri's transfer was first reported Jan. 10 by Tom Bogert of MLSsoccer.com. The Timbers will receive a transfer fee of approximately $175,000 for Valeri and be absolved from his cap hit in 2022, Bogert reported. Valeri’s contract with the Timbers was scheduled to expire after the 2022 season.
Before coming to the Timbers in 2013, Valeri, a native of Argentina, made 158 appearances for Lanus. He's had an illustrious career with the Timbers, leading the club to an MLS Cup victory in 2015, where he was named the game's MVP. He was the league MVP in 2017 and a four-time all-star. Valeri is the Timbers' regular-season leader in goals (86), assists (91) and points (263). He ranks second in games played (262) and starts (230).
Valeri tweeted the following message to Portland and its fans on Thursday afternoon:
"As a child I was given a football. It taught me almost everything I know about the world. I've lost many times, but it never betrayed me. It sometimes bounces, and while flying it takes me with it. It flew so high, once, that it went into the clouds and met Portland's rain. I've walked through the streets and down the bridges of this city for eight long winters, trying to learn your language and beat the cold of loneliness. Again, the football helped us speak the universal language ... that of joy when playing and of love. I woke up to see that I was loved already, and so was my family. How can I thank you enough? I promised myself to wear out the sole of my cleats so as to give you more joy than gloom. I wanted to see you celebrate, at least for a while, in this life that sometimes turns a bit grey among the sky-high trees that hide the sunshine. We can bring happiness to a lot of people with just a football.
"I looked at all of you. I can still feel the smoke of your flares in my lungs and the chips of the logs in my hands, the tune of your songs in my ears and the scarves on my neck. I fought with dignity to carry our colors to the highest peak. Your champion belts became my highest honor. Just as the trophies won as a team will remain in the stadium, I wish my goals to remain in your souls. Set the tears aside, because this game is always giving us chances and surprises.
"Oh, yes, football, love, and soccer are always big news. In fact, throughout these years you showed me something I had never imagined in this career. I can feel the happiness of those who play along with me from the outside, no matter what may be happening on the field. It's just a matter of being there ... in front of you. I'm seeing you now, wearing this jersey for the last time. The sky is grey, but you make me happy."
This past season, Valeri, who turns 36 in May, saw his role diminish with the Timbers. He started just 10 matches for Portland and had two goals and one assist during the 2021 regular season. Valeri saw limited time in the Timbers' playoff run.
Leading up to the Timbers' appearance in the MLS Cup championship match in December, reports surfaced indicating this could be Valeri's final season in Portland. After the Timbers' loss in the title match, Portland head coach Giovanni Saverese was asked about Valeri.
"He's a player that since he came to Major League Soccer, he showed his quality," Savarese said. "He made this league a better league. He made the Portland Timbers be what it is. And he's shown all his quality, he's played always with so much passion and he's done a fantastic job to have been an extremely important player for this organization. He's a legend for Portland."
In Thursday's news release, the Timbers released the following statements about Valeri's impact:
"I do not believe there has been a more impactful Designated Player signing in the history of MLS than Diego Valeri. He changed what clubs looked for in a DP – not a brand to put fans in the seats and sell sponsorships, but a rising European level talent who chose to make America his home and legacy. In Portland he has meant everything to us on the pitch and in the community. While one chapter ends today, this is not the end of Diego Valeri in Portland, and I cannot wait for fans to have the opportunity to properly honor him in person. Thank you, Diego. For everything." — Merritt Paulson, Timbers owner and CEO.
"I'd like to start by saying a resounding thank you to Diego, Florencia and their remarkable daughter, Connie, who have been an integral part of the Club for the last nine seasons. I can confidently say that there will never be another like Diego Valeri in green and gold. On the field, his performances helped change the trajectory of this club. Off of it, the humility and generosity he and his family showed the community has left a lasting impression on the entire city of Portland. Though it has been one of the most difficult decisions that we have made as a club, we have worked with Diego to transfer him to his childhood club, Club Atlético Lanús. In conjunction with this transfer, we are finalizing plans to host a testimonial game for Diego in Portland. Knowing that our #8 will play one more game in the City of Roses, a place he called home for over nine years, is something that we viewed as vital to honor Diego and the mark he has left on the Portland Timbers family. We look forward to giving our fans the opportunity to see him take the field at Providence Park one last time. Diego Valeri is synonymous with Portland soccer. We thank Diego for his numerous contributions over the years as well as his tireless commitment to the club and know that he will be successful in all of his future endeavors – no matter where they take him." — Gavin Wilkinson, Timbers general manager and president of soccer
"There are no words to describe what Diego Valeri represents to the Portland Timbers and MLS. He gave being a Designated Player a new meaning, setting the highest of standards in the league. There aren’t many players that can be recognized for having the impact and consistency that Diego had with the Timbers. With his mastery of the ball, ‘El Maestro’ bestowed with his game and competitive nature what Portland needed to always be one of the most competitive teams in the league. It will be a strange feeling to not see him in our locker room. My wish as a head coach was to see him retire with the Timbers, but sometimes soccer works out in different ways. I wish Diego all the best in his return to Lanús, the club that saw him grow, and to his beautiful family, Florencia and Connie, in their return to Argentina. His humility and his soccer will always be synonymous to the Portland Timbers." — Giovanni Savarese, Timbers head coach
