Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season, ending one of the most successful careers in the club’s history.
The Spanish giants announced the news on Monday, hailing the defender’s service to the club for more than a decade.
Carvajal, 34, came through Madrid’s famous La Fábrica academy before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in 2012. A year later he was re-signed by Madrid and quickly became one of the team’s most important players.
Since his return to the club, Carvajal has played more than 450 matches and won 27 trophies, including six UEFA Champions League titles, four La Liga crowns, FIFA Club World Cups, and domestic cups.
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez called Carvajal a club legend and a symbol of the academy system.
“Carvajal is a legend, one of the best players to come through our academy,” Perez said in a statement released by the club.
The defender has struggled with injury problems this campaign and has played less this season. Spanish media reports also say he will be left out of Spain’s World Cup squad after failing to make a full recovery.
Carvajal is set to play his last home game at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium for Real Madrid this weekend against Athletic Bilbao.
His departure signals the end of an era at Real Madrid, where he has become one of the club’s most decorated defenders and a key element of their dominance in European football over the last decade.
