“I do what I feel”: Real captain Nacho moves to Saudi Arabia

Almost four weeks ago, Nacho Fernández, 34, experienced the high point of his career: he raised the Champions League trophy at Wembley Stadium as central defender and captain of Real Madrid. He was with the Spanish record champions for more than 23 years, to be precise since 2001, when he joined the youth team at the age of ten. He has rejected the idea of ​​ending his active career as a “one-club man” – as a player who played for a single club. On Thursday, Nacho confirmed at the Spaniards’ European Championship headquarters in Donaueschingen that he would join the Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad; the day before, Real had said goodbye to Nacho, a player who won a total of 26 titles, including six Champions League victories.

“It was a very difficult but well-considered decision,” Nacho said. He wanted “a new experience.” It was sweetened with plenty of petrodollars: he is reportedly receiving the equivalent of 20 million euros. “There is no why,” he replied when asked about the reasons for his departure. “I do what I feel.” The Wembley title, achieved by beating Borussia Dortmund in the final (2-0), represents the “happy ending” that he had always strived for.

The ovation with which Nacho was bid farewell by the journalists in Donaueschingen after the end of his press conference would perhaps have been louder in the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, but hardly more unanimous. It may have compensated him a little for not being able to experience an apotheosis like Toni Kroos recently did in his home stadium. “I would have liked to say goodbye like Kroos,” admitted Nacho – but he had not yet signed his contract with the Saudis in front of his home crowd at the last game of the season. Kroos, on the other hand, had already announced that he would even end his career. The envy of Kroos was, however, limited. He also feels “loved” – by President Florentino Pérez, by his teammates and, not least, by the fans.

Striker Joselu is also moving – he is going to Qatar

They have really taken him to their hearts; the same goes for striker Joselu, who used to play for Hoffenheim and Hanover and is now part of the Spanish European Championship squad in the Black Forest, an hour and a half’s drive from his hometown of Stuttgart. Joselu is also moving to Asia, more precisely to Qatar. However, this did not happen quite as quietly as in Nacho’s case.

Last season, Joselu was loaned to Real by first division promoted Espanyol Barcelona; Real thwarted Espanyol’s attempts to get a transfer fee of almost double-digit million euros for Joselu from Qatari club SC al-Gharafa. Out of gratitude for the temporary services in general and Joselu’s goals in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against FC Bayern Munich, Real helped Joselu to complete the transfer. Real exercised a purchase option for 1.5 million euros – and passed Joselu on to Qatar at cost.