Ever since Rodrigo Lopez led Sacramento Republic FC to the USL Championship in their inaugural season, there was a worry in the back of the minds of many Sacramento area fans that he would soon move on to the greener pastures of the so-called higher level. Those worries were not unfounded, as stories came out saying that he was drawing the attention of clubs like the San Jose Earthquakes and various Mexican teams. So when Lopez announced via Facebook his decision not to return to the Republic in 2016, it did not exactly come out of nowhere.

Despite the decision not being unexpected, it was definitely a sad day for the Sacramento Republic fanbase, many of whom flocked to social media to say goodbye to Lopez.

In an interview with ICS earlier today, Lopez echoed the sentiments of his announcement, saying that it was “really hard for me to say goodbye.” He said that he “fell in love with the city and the people of Sacramento and our fans and how loyal they are.”

However, despite his love for the city, the team, and the fans, Lopez also felt that he “needed to push [himself] a little more and try to play at the highest level.” That desire to play at the highest level was what led him to his decision.

“I made the decision as soon as the season ended,” Lopez said. “It wasn’t an easy one, but it’s one that I made very carefully.”

He stressed his age as a big factor in his decision, saying “I’m 28, I don’t have a lot of time. If I was 22 or 23 at the start of my career I would have never thought about it. I would’ve stayed a couple seasons and hopefully gone to MLS [with the team]. But I’m 28 now and if it’s not now, then it’s never going to happen for me.”

Despite moving on to greener pastures, Lopez still plans to keep up with how things are going for the Republic. “I’ll still follow Sacramento,” he said. “I’ve built relationships with so many players and teammates… I’ll always keep in contact with them. We became a family and I saw them more than my family sometimes. It’s hard to say goodbye”

Stay tuned to ICS for more coverage of Rodrigo Lopez’s departure from Sacramento Republic FC.

Make sure to follow ICS on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook.