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The trickle of news surrounding the reported departure of Portland Timbers legend Diego Valeri continues to flow and we now have a report around one of the ways Valeri’s legacy in the Rose City will be honored.
It was reported by MLS Insider Tom Bogert last week that Portland and Lanus were in the final stages of a transfer for the 36 year-old Valeri to return to his boyhood team in Argentina, with the last few details due to be ironed out soon. Now, Bogert has news around how Valeri’s Portland legacy will be celebrated.
It was reported this morning that the Timbers are in the process of planning legacy events for Valeri once his transfer goes through. Chief among those events is a proposed testimonial friendly match between the Timbers and Lanus.
Portland Timbers are planning legacy events for legend Diego Valeri once transfer to Lanus is official, among talks: A Diego Valeri testimonial match between Portland and Lanus.
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 12, 2022
Details to be confirmed/finalized after the move. Not expecting deal to be official until next week. https://t.co/N3XKMlRee1 pic.twitter.com/256PDhQ6qP
Details of the match, along with other legacy-focused events, won’t be finalized until after the official transfer goes through. Bogert shared that the deal isn’t expected to be official until next week.
While it appears that Valeri’s time in green & gold is coming to end, it is some comfort to know that we may not have seen the last of him playing in Providence Park. A testimonial match would be a very fitting tribute and having the Timbers go up against a team like Lanus with Valeri involved would serve as one final chance for Timbers fans to see El Maestro in action in the Rose City.
What are your thoughts about the match? What other legacy events would you want to see happen to honor Valeri’s impact on the club? Leave a comment letting us know!