Al-Qadsiah announces the signing of Nacho, captain of Real Madrid

Al-Qadsiah announced on Thursday (27) the signing of Nacho Fernández. The 34-year-old Spanish defender, who was the captain of Real Madrid, has signed a two-year deal with the newly promoted team in the Saudi League. According to the Spanish newspaper “Marca,” the player will earn around 10 million euros (R$ 58 million) per year.

“I could try for another year, but here (at Real Madrid) nothing matters unless you are at the highest level. There is nothing left to win with this shirt, but that doesn’t mean I lack ambition. I was always clear that I never wanted to face Real Madrid. To play in Europe, I would have stayed, but I needed a completely different experience. Playing against Real Madrid was never an option,” said the defender.

The player had informed at the beginning of the year that he would not renew his contract in June. Initially, he was close to playing in MLS in the United States but received an offer from Al-Ittihad.

However, the president of the Saudi league, Omar Mugharbei, assessed that Al-Qadsiah needed more than one defender, and the club entered the race and secured the player.

In total, Nacho played 364 games for Real Madrid, scoring 16 goals and providing eight assists. With the merengue shirt, he won 26 titles, including six Champions League trophies. Alongside Modric, he is the player with the most titles in the history of the Spanish club. In the fifteenth conquest, he was the captain, starting 11 of the 12 games in the campaign.