Senior Real Madrid captain Nacho Fernandez opened up about his reason for leaving the club this summer.
The veteran centre-back has opted to end his 23-year association with the club after making the call to leave Spanish football for Saudi Arabia.
After deciding against a renewal in Madrid, Nacho accepted a two-year contract with Al-Qadsiah of the Saudi Pro League with an outstanding salary in the Middle East.
The offer of an extra year was rumored to be a key factor in Nacho agreeing to the deal with Real Madrid adhering to their policy of one-year extensions for players over 30.
The 34-year-old has now offered a context for why he accepted a major change as a new career challenge begins in Khobar.
“I needed a radical change. Al-Qadsiah bet very strongly on me, he showed me a lot of affection from the first moment. I feel the need to try a new experience”, as per an interview with the Saudi Pro League, via Marco.
“It was not an easy decision, leaving the club of my life was very difficult, but I thought about it a lot.”
Al-Qadsiah have enjoyed a strong start to the Saudi domestic season, following their promotion back to the top flight, with Nacho starting in their opening two wins of the campaign.
