Real Madrid confirm departure of club captain Nacho Fernandez
- Nacho Fernandez to leave Real Madrid on free transfer
- Club confirmed exit in statement on Tuesday
- Centre-back in line to join Al Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia
By Sean Walsh
Real Madrid have announced that captain Nacho Fernandez will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of June.
Nacho is set to join Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah on a two-year deal after spending the last month deliberating over his future.
Reports in recent weeks suggested the veteran centre-back had decided to leave Madrid in search of a new challenge, and his exit from the Bernabeu was confirmed on Tuesday.
A club statement read: "Real Madrid CF announces that our captain Nacho has decided to end his career as a Real Madrid player. Real Madrid wants to express its gratitude and affection to Nacho, one of the great legends of our club.
"Nacho arrived at Real Madrid in 2001, when he was only 10-years-old, and has played in all categories of our youth team until becoming a first team player in 2012. Since then, he has defended our shirt for 12 seasons in one of the most successful in the history of Real Madrid. In all this time he has played 364 games and has won 26 titles: six European Cups, five Club World Cups, four European Super Cups, four La Ligas, two Copa del Rey and five Spanish Super Cups.
"In addition, with the Spanish [national] team he became European Under-21 champion and champion of the Nations League, and is currently playing at Euro 2024 in Germany.
"Nacho ends his career at Real Madrid as the captain who lifted the fifteenth [European Cup] at Wembley, as one of the five players who have won six European Cups in the entire history of football and with the greatest number of titles in the history of our club.
"All Real Madrid fans feel the utmost pride in one of the most legendary youth players in our history.
"Real Madrid wishes him and his entire family the best of luck in this new stage of his life."
Madrid club president Florentino Perez added: "Since he arrived at our youth academy as a child, Nacho has always been an example of improvement for everyone and has received the love, recognition and admiration of all Real Madrid fans. Real Madrid is and will always be his home."
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