Yeray Lamariano announces his retirement from handball

The goalkeeper of Recoletas At. Valladolid, Yeray Lamariano, has decided to put an end to his career as a handball player in what he considers his home, a city with a long tradition in our sport and where he has built his family. The last chapter with the Gladiadores Azules is the last stop on a journey that has lasted 22 years and has led the Eibar native to play in 8 Spanish clubs: Ademar León, Bidasoa Irun, Octavio, Antequera, BM. Valladolid, Nava, Cangas and At Valladolid, as well as the experience in France with Chartres. In the retina remain titles, promotions and relegations, and the feeling of having left a mark in all the cities where he has been.

Yeray Lamariano – Goalkeeper of Recoletas At. Valladolid

“I have decided to end my sports career definitively. It's my way of saying goodbye and bidding farewell to everyone, I will always carry you in my heart. They are mixed feelings, it is a thoughtful decision, it has cost me to make it, but it is the best for me. Handball has been part of me for 22 years professionally and many others as an amateur. I am going to stop doing what I like the most, it is a decision that had to come at some point”.

“I have had a sports career of which I can be proud, I have had titles, I have achieved promotions, I have won many matches and I have lost many others. It has not been a glorious career, but I can be proud because I have met my best friends in handball and I have created a family thanks to handball. All the clubs have allowed me to build the person I am, I have learned to live through handball and the cities and teammates I have had. I keep the experiences, many of my teammates are friends. I have felt a lot of affection every time I have gone to play on other courts. My teammates show me a lot of affection, it is what excites me the most”.

“Valladolid is the city where I met my wife and created my family. I have been in other clubs, but Valladolid is my home, it is where I am going to live. Recoletas At. Valladolid will always be special because it is my last team. I would have liked to finish in another way, on the court”.

“I remember the debut in the ASOBAL League, it was with Ademar de León in 2002 and against BM. Valladolid. I went out to try to stop a penalty from Albert Rocas and he scored it, he was one of the best players in the world. I remember that premiere with a lot of memory. In all the clubs I have felt very loved. I didn't think my career would be so long. The illusion was to debut in ASOBAL, to have a sports career. I didn't think that at 40 years old I would be saying goodbye, I am more than surprised”.

🙌🏽 Nos ponemos en pie para despedir a uno de los referentes de la historia de @ASOBAL ✨

🥹 @YerayLamariano cierra su libro como jugador profesional de balonmano en la que considera su casa: @atlvalladolid🏡

1️⃣7️⃣ temporadas e infinidad de recuerdos, ¡𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐒 por todo!🫶🏼 pic.twitter.com/oTAWVDE1jW

— ASOBAL (@ASOBAL) January 19, 2024