Joselu leaves Real Madrid and goes to Al-Gharafa in Qatar

Spanish striker Joselu Mato became a new player for Qatar’s Al-Gharafa SC on Friday, after playing last season for Real Madrid and winning the League and Champions League.

“Real Madrid CF, after making effective its option to acquire the rights of the player Joselu Mato against RCD Espanyol, has reached an agreement with Al-Gharafa SC for the transfer of our player,” the white team announced.

Joselu’s decision was an open secret, tempted by the million-dollar offer from the Qatari team and seeing the difficulty of getting minutes at Madrid next season with the arrival of Endrick Felipe and Kylian Mbappé.

The Spanish international already had a difficult time this past season, although he earned the minutes and the affection of the fans with goals like the ones he scored against Bayern Munich to put his team in the final of the Champions League.

Joselu arrived at Real Madrid’s youth system in 2010 at the age of 20 and joined Castilla, where he played for two seasons and participated in the club’s promotion to the Second Division in the 2011-2012 season. The forward played for Celta de Vigo, Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hannover, Stoke City, Deportivo de La Coruña, Newcastle, Deportivo Alavés and Espanyol before returning to the Spanish capital.

In this 2023-2024 season, Joselu has played 49 games for Real Madrid, has scored 18 goals and has won three titles: a Champions League, a La Liga and a Spanish Super Cup. “Real Madrid thanks Joselu for his professionalism and his Madridism, and shows all its affection to him and his family, to whom it wishes the best of luck in this new stage of their lives,” the note concludes.

Shortly after the club’s announcement, Joselu shared a farewell message on his social media, and above all, a message of thanks. “Thank you. It is the best and most appropriate word to express everything I feel at this moment, when emotion and nerves barely allow me to write,” wrote the striker.

“Thank you, Real Madrid, for everything you have made me feel throughout my life. Inside and outside. Inside and outside. Thank you for what you taught me when I was a kid; thank you for having given me so many examples of greatness and humility at the same time. Thank you for having kept my dream alive and for having made it come true. Thank you, president, you are very great. Thank you José Ángel for everything,” he added.

“Thank you to each and every one of the employees of the greatest and most exemplary club. Thank you coach for your way of understanding this game. Thank you team for being my family, thank you fans for so much passion, so much love and that complicity that made us fly. Years ago I left but I never left. Today I am also leaving but in reality I am staying. Thank you,” he concludes.