"He will forever be in the heart of Real Madrid" - Carlo Ancelotti makes heartwarming claim as veteran star leaves club
Carlo Ancelotti made a heartwarming claim as Real Madrid veteran Nacho Fernandez parted ways with the club. The Spanish defender announced his decision to leave his boyhood club after 23 years on June 25, 2024.
The La Liga giants held an institutional event to pay tribute and bid farewell to the former captain on Wednesday, July 24. Club president Florentino Pérez was in attendance as well.
Following his farewell, Los Blancos head coach Carlo Ancelotti opened up about the 34-year-old and referred to him as a blessing. The Italian manager said (via @MadridXtra):
"Having players like Nacho is a blessing for any manager. He will forever be in the heart of Real Madrid."
In the official announcement of the veteran's departure, Los Blancos president Florentino Pérez said: (via Madrid Universal)
"Since he arrived at our youth academy as a child, Nacho has been an example to everyone and has earned the affection, recognition and admiration of everyone at Real Madrid. Real Madrid is and always will be his home."
Nacho joined the youth academy of the Spanish club in 2001 when he was 10 years old and made his first-team debut in 2012. He has been with Los Blancos for 13 seasons and during his tenure, he made 364 appearances.
Nacho is the most decorated player in the club's history along with Luka Modric, winning 26 trophies. These include four La Liga, two Copa del Rey, five Supercopa de España, six UEFA Champions League, three UEFA Super Cup, and five FIFA Club World Cup titles.
Nacho sends message to Real Madrid fans during his farewell
Nacho sent a message to Los Blancos fans at his official farewell, thanking them for supporting him all these years, and said: (via his Instagram)
"Madridistas, I want to send you this message to thank you for everything you’ve done for me, for all of the support I’ve had and now it’s my turn to join you, to cheer on Real Madrid until the end."
Nacho, who made his international debut for Spain in 2013, has also won the 2024 UEFA European Championship and the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League with La Roja. He signed a two-year contract with newly promoted Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah on June 27, 2024.
With the Spanish defender taking his leave, Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić, who has been with the club since 2012, has been named the new captain. He recently extended his contract for one more year until 2025.