Christmas morning brought unexpected joy to Celta supporters as the club announced the renewal of their legendary captain, Iago Aspas, who will remain at Balaídos until at least 2026.
As Celta fans gathered around their Christmas trees to unwrap their presents, they discovered a delightful surprise. The announcement, made on December 25, confirmed that Aspas, the team’s iconic figure, would continue to take to the pitch for at least one more season.
This renewal comes as a breath of fresh air for Celta, who are undoubtedly set to face difficulties in their quest for survival in La Liga without their talisman. With Aspas on the team, fortunes change. Although the main objective remains to remain in the Premier League, there is a sense of calm with concerns seeming distant for the moment.
First of all, Celta’s competitors at the bottom of the table seem to be faltering. Second, the team’s performance this season is encouraging enough to provide a solid basis for considering safety. Betfair’s odds reflect this sentiment, with just a 1.2% implied probability of Celta dropping into the bottom tier, an indication that survival is all but assured.
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At 37 years old, the “Prince of Bateas” is still at the top of his game, and with this new contract, he aims to cement his legendary status. If all goes according to plan, he will surpass Manolo (Manuel Rodríguez Alfonso) as the player with the most appearances in Celta’s history, a remarkable achievement.
Manolo, the legendary defender of the Galicians, played a total of 533 matches for his lifelong club, starting in 1966 and remaining until 1982, experiencing everything, even Segunda B.
Currently, Aspas has 509 appearances, which won’t be enough to surpass Manolo this season, but with a little consistency he could get there next year. However, his journey was different; Aspas is not a “One Club Man”. His experiences at Liverpool and Sevilla may have proven to him that there truly is no place like home.
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Starting with Celta in 2007, Aspas had a somewhat turbulent journey, spending only two seasons away from the club, first at Liverpool (2013-2014), then at Sevilla (2014-2015).
Across all competitions, Aspas boasts an impressive record of 653 matches, spanning Segunda B, Segunda, Primera, Premier and Champions. Remarkably, among this extensive career, only 373 matches have been played at the highest level. A “only” which becomes very relative, because it is not easy to reach such a mark.
However, compared to other active players with considerably more appearances at the elite level, this highlights Aspas’ exceptional career. One would expect, with his track record, that he would be on the verge of becoming the active player with the most appearances in the Primera. However, this is not the case.
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In front of him are a handful of competitors. Aspas ranks as the tenth active player with the most matches in the top flight, behind several legends. With Navas’ retirement, Griezmann now holds the record for most current appearances in La Liga with 516, followed by Parejo (507), Koke (471), Rakitic (438), Muniain (434), De Marcos ( 424), Íñigo Martínez (395), Albiol (394), Marcelo (386) and Modric (377).
It should be noted that some on this list are already far from the elite scene, such as Rakitic, Muniain or Marcelo. However, others like Griezmann and Parejo are expected to continue their careers, making it difficult for Aspas to close the gap. Which is understandable.
It is important to remember that in his extended career, Aspas played 103 matches in Segunda, costing him many opportunities to feature in this ranking. In fact, if he had participated in these same matches at the highest level, he would now be the third active player with the most appearances in the Primera.
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Whatever the statistics, the legend of Aspas continues to enchant fans in Spain, with still room to flesh out his tale and reinforce his status as a Celta icon, where no one questions his mystery . And it still has a lot to accomplish, at least until 2026.
