Marcelino Nunez’s heartwarming reason for wanting to leave Norwich City for Ipswich Town

Marcelino Nunez Sparks Controversy with Switch from Norwich City to Ipswich Town

Marcelino Nunez has caused a stir in East Anglia by making a bold move across the region’s fiercest football divide—leaving Norwich City to sign for their arch-rivals, Ipswich Town.

The move is widely seen as a career-driven decision, with Ipswich currently appearing to be in a stronger position to push for promotion to the Premier League. That potential may have influenced Nunez’s decision to make the controversial switch.

Former Norwich striker Chris Sutton weighed in on the transfer, calling it a smart piece of business by the Canaries. Sutton suggested that no other club would have paid as much as Ipswich did for the Chilean international.

Fans on both sides of the rivalry had been waiting to hear from Nunez following the move. Ipswich supporters were curious to see if he would take a dig at his old club, while Norwich fans hoped for insight into why he chose to leave—especially considering he was the hero in the East Anglian Derby just over a year ago.

Nunez Explains His Decision

Speaking to Ipswich Town’s media team, Nunez offered his first comments since completing the transfer.

“I respect all teams. I’m grateful to Norwich for giving me the chance to play in England,” he said. “But now I’m with Ipswich, and I’ll give everything on the pitch.”

He added, “I want to show my technical skills, score goals, and provide assists—just as I’ve always done. I hope to make a big impact.”

Nunez also noted a personal connection to his new club’s colours: “The shirt is the same colour as the one I wore at my first club, Universidad Católica. It feels good to wear it again.”

He concluded by expressing his excitement about his new surroundings: “The stadium is beautiful. I can’t wait to experience the fans and make my debut.”

Kieran McKenna Welcomes Nunez

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna expressed his delight with the signing, highlighting both the on-field quality and the symbolic blow dealt to their local rivals.

Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, McKenna said, “We’re really pleased to bring him in. It was an area we needed to strengthen after recent departures.”

“He’s a high-quality player with Championship and international experience, and he’s still young,” McKenna added. “He covers a lot of ground, is excellent on the ball, and can take and score from set pieces—as we saw a couple of seasons ago.”