Report: When and why Nacho decided to leave Real Madrid | OneFootball

Earlier this week, Real Madrid confirmed the departure of veteran defender Nacho Fernandez. The centre-back is set to join Saudi Arabian outfit Al Qadsiah on a free transfer this summer.

Real Madrid had been anticipating Nacho’s exit for quite some time now, as the player was in close contact with Saudi Arabian clubs throughout the last few weeks.

This suggests that Nacho had made the decision to leave Real Madrid quite some time back. Now, a report has revealed when and why the defender decided to put an end to his 23-year-long association with Los Blancos.

Nacho decided to quit after Valencia game

According to Cadena SER (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Nacho Fernandez decided to quit Real Madrid after the game against Valencia at Mestalla, which was played in March.

Nacho will move to Saudi Arabia after the end of Euros. (Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)

Nacho realised there were only a few weeks remaining before Real Madrid’s tie against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.

He observed that Carlo Ancelotti was favouring Aurelien Tchouameni ahead of him in the central defensive area, even with David Alaba and Eder Militao being out injured.

This compelled Nacho to re-consider his status at Real Madrid, with the veteran eventually deciding to leave the club at the end of the season.

Of course, fortunes did favour Nacho during the end of the campaign as Tchouameni got injured and the veteran was given the responsibility of leading the Real Madrid backline.

Nevertheless, the report adds that Nacho had contacted Florentino Perez and informed him about his desire to quit Real Madrid on the day of Easter.

Nacho did later have an option to renew his contract at Santiago Bernabeu, but his heart was set on a move away from the club.