Official: Verónica Boquete signs for AC Milan

It’s official: Verónica Boquete is a Rossonera!

If you’ve been paying attention, then you know that this is something that has been coming. In late October, we were the first site to write about Veró being in advanced talks to join AC Milan in English.

Then, we kept you up to date about the ongoing transfer. We reported that the Galician was in Milan undergoing quarantine as well as the vague hints she gave about her next destination.

That destination ultimately turned out to be Milan.

Verónica Boquete has officially signed a contract with AC Milan. To say that we’re stoked about this would be an understatement.

With Verónica’s signing, Milan will finally have the missing piece to their puzzle. The team have signed a versatile player who is capable of playing in a variety of roles, chiefly in the middle of the park.

Veró’s talent is so great that she can alternate between playing as a roaming playmaker, a regista, a centre-mid, a false-nine and yes, a trequartista too.

Boquete’s signing will allow the team to become tactically flexible, as they’ve finally signed the playmaker they need to make formations like the 4-3-1-2 work. Veró’s presence will also enhance the overall quality of the team, as she is quite a technically gifted and talented player. What you have to understand is that Milan didn’t just sign one of the best players in the world.

Rather, they signed one of the greatest players of all time.

The Spaniard can boast of having a bevy of accolades, including the fact that she is Spain’s all-time leading goal scorer. The midfielder has also won international trophies with La Roja at the senior and youth level and has won trophies while playing for teams in Spain, Sweden, and Germany. She has also won the hearts and minds of fans in those countries, and in France, China, and the USA as well.

She has not, however, done any of this in Italy. She’ll have the chance to do so now and best of all, she’ll be able to do it with the Rossonere.

Why the move makes sense

Aside from what has been mentioned above, there are other reasons why this signing makes sense.

The first of which is that as we’ve previously noted, Boquete’s former team, the Utah Royals, has been in a state of disarray ever since it was revealed that their former owner (Dell Loy Hansen), had a history of making racist comments. The revelation led to an investigation by the MLS and the NWSL, which ended with Hansen issuing an apology as well as stating that he would be selling his teams. To date, the teams have not been sold yet, thus leaving all three teams in the Utah Soccer Holdings company without an owner for the time being.

The Utah Royals FC were thrown into a state of flux during this situation. With this in mind, it’s understandable why a player would want to move elsewhere for the time being. So essentially, Vero’s move to Milan is a way of escaping the chaos. The Royals also fired their previous coach (Craig Harrington) today, thus leading to more questions about the stability of the team.

Milan has more stability, thanks to the support it gets from Elliott Management and the fact that it plays in Serie A Femminile. The FIGC recently implemented a series of protocols that would help the league continue playing during the pandemic, thus giving it the support that most other women’s leagues don’t have. Boquete has expressed her desire to have more playing time and with AC Milan, she’ll be given exactly what she wants.

Add to this the fact that Spain and Italy are neighboring countries and the Galician’s hometown of Santiago de Compostela is only a nine-hour flight away from Milan, and the move begins to make more sense.

The move has also given Milan positive publicity as well. Everyone from Hope Solo to the official FIFA Women’s World Cup account have heralded Verónica’s signing for Milan. The fact that a player of her stature has signed for the Rossonere also signals a change for Serie A Femminile, as more players are beginning to realize the quality of the league and will want to play in it.

If a player a legendary and talented as Verónica Boquete wants to play in the league, then it means that more people are recognizing the appeal the championship. This will help the league grow, as other talented players will want to play in the peninsula as well.

There is much more that we could write about this move (and believe me when I say that we will write more about her within the upcoming days). The Spaniard’s contract will also last until the end of the season, so we’ll see what happens afterward.

For now, I think my feelings can best be summed up by R ‘n’ B chanteuse Faith Evans:

♫ Oh, I

I can’t believe it’s real

I can’t believe it’s true

I can’t believe that you chose me

When I was choosing you

And I can’t believe that you are here with me

And I am here with you ♫

Benvida ao noso equipo, Verónica.