Radamel Falcao has taken the number 9 shirt for Rayo Vallecano this season after wearing the number 3 on his back for the 21-22 campaign.
Falcao Switches to Number 9 Shirt
A few eyebrows were raised last summer by Falcao's free transfer to Rayo Vallecano, even more so when it was announced that the Colombian striker would wear the number 3 jersey traditionally reserved for left-backs. El Tigre explained that the strange choice was a tribute to his late father, Radamel Enrique García King, who had worn the number three during his playing career.
Falcao's father alongside the father of his international teammate, James Rodriguez.
At the time he joined the Rayo, the number 9 shirt was occupied by French midfielder Randy Nteka, who is still at the club but took the number 11 this season after the departure of previous wearer Mamdaou Sylla. This left the number 9 free for El Tigre, while left-back Fran Garcia gets an upgrade, going from 33 to 3.
Falcao has worn the number 9 for very club he has played for, although he did start with the number 19 shirt at River Plate before switching after a couple of years. He'll be hoping that his new shirt will see him achieve numbers closer to those from his Atlético days rather than his spells in the Premier League.
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