Very few players in Cartagena’s recent history have been received as warmly as Toni Datkovic. The centre-back’s return last Sunday to what was his home until just three months ago could not have been more special, loving and somehow comforting, because the Croatian left in August through the back door, after a serious exchange of accusations with the board and with some detractors. He gave the same. Almost everyone unanimously applauded him when he returned.
Datkovic is one of the players who with the most passion, determination and dedication defended the black and white colors, key first in the salvation of 2021 and the fight for the promotion phase, in the next two. He always performed without skimping on his efforts, recovered in record time from a major injury to play a key match for permanence and knew how to win the affection of the fans from the first day.
The Croatian earned that treatment from Cartagena in the field. He always tried to deliver, whether he was a central defender or an emergency left-back. The relationship reached such a point that Datkovic soaked up the traditions in the municipality, witnessed Holy Week processions and even tattooed the club’s shield and the image of the Virgin of Charity on his right leg.
«My Cartageneros, thank you for the welcome. Another special moment that I will have in my life,” he says on his social networks.
He pointed out that tattooed part of his body last Sunday, when he waited for all the players to go to the locker room to walk around the field and thank the warm ovation that Cartagonova gave him on his return with the Albacete shirt. The fans stood up to applaud him, on the way to the bench; and also when he entered the field of play in the 88th minute. Not even the club’s recent great players such as Rubén Castro, Bodiger and Elady Zorrilla were received so well when they returned to Cartagonova with Málaga, Granada and Tenerife, respectively.
Some of the Croatian’s former teammates hugged him after the final whistle, such as Damián Musto and Luis Muñoz. Amid cheers, chants and applause, Datkovic left the stadium visibly moved, placing his hand on his heart, his tattoos and giving the shirt to a member of the Cheerleading Stand.
It must be remembered that Datkovic left Cartagena in August, having the highest salary and calculation in the salary limit. He ended up fighting with the board, between serious exchanges of messages on social networks, and versions of what happened on both sides. The footballer reported being expelled from the sports city and being left out of the trip to Andorra, for not accepting the readjustment of his contract like some of his teammates.
Belmonte and Breis, for their part, defended the footballer’s malpractice for transferring an offer from Saudi Arabia to them. [un «interés», según Datkovic] with the season at stake, not signing the termination of the contract until the last day and therefore harming the signing of players in the last days of the last summer market. «Thank you for your welcome, my Cartagenans. Another special moment that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Thank you for filling my heart once again,” he wrote on his social networks.
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