In the 32nd round of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season between Borussia Dortmund and Augsburg, in addition to the debut of the youngster and the countdown to Marco Reus's departure, there is another focus on the field, that is, Spanish full-back Mateu Morey, who returned to Dort's starting 11 after a 1,099-day absence.
February 10, 2024 Dort's 88th minute at home against Freiburg, a quote from the home announcer:
"You know what? After four and a half years in the team, he is making his debut in front of the home fans, does it mean a lot......? (Mateu Morey!) Mateu...... (Mateu Morey!) Mateu...... (Mateu Morey!)"
In the summer of 2019, Mateu Morey refused to renew his contract with La Liga Barcelona and joined Dortmund as a free agent......
What was supposed to be a career that was supposed to shine has been changed dramatically
In the semi-finals of the German Cup in May 2021 against Holstein Kiel in the German Second Division, in the 62nd minute, Mateu Morey came on as a substitute, but 10 minutes later, he was in an interception in midfield, he wanted to shovel the ball away, but when his right foot landed, he had an accident and his right knee was outward, causing a serious ligament injury, he fell to the ground and hugged his head and screamed. After a long journey of rehabilitation, in addition to the continuous delay in the return date, Mateu Morey also underwent surgery on both knees, and his return is far away.
1,015 long days of waiting, back to the Bundesliga
Mateu Morey did not officially return to the first team's training until the winter training in January this year, and played as a substitute against Freiburg, and after the game, he was also pushed by his teammates to receive applause from the fans in front of the Yellow Wall, officially announcing his return to the Bundesliga!
Returned to Dortmund after a 1099-day absence
After Dortmund confirmed that they have a place in the Champions League next season, there are still Champions League semi-finals on May 8, Dortmund coach Edin Terzic decided to make large-scale changes to the squad at the end of the league season and to maintain the state of going to Paris. Morey will also be able to maintain his fitness in the future.