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September 10, 2024
It’s commonly believed that good things come in threes.
That certainly holds true for Nacho this summer.
Real Madrid’s captain, Nacho, lifted the UEFA Champions League 2024 trophy in London in June.
Just over a month later, he celebrated another victory in Berlin as a UEFA European Championship winner with Spain. In the meantime, he was unveiled as a marquee signing for Al Qadsiah, the ambitious newly promoted team in the Roshn Saudi League.
Now, as he sits at his current club’s home in Al Khobar, Nacho’s wide smile speaks volumes. Yet, the long-time Real Madrid star and one of the most decorated footballers still emphasizes his sense of fulfillment.
“The moment that makes me the proudest of in my career is the present,” Nacho shares with the Saudi Pro League. “Right now, I am very happy with everything I have done with my lifelong club, Real Madrid. I have been a champion with my country’s national team this summer; it has been fundamental for me.
“I am involved in a new project that has put everything into coming here, both for me and my family. So, I can say that I am in the best moment of my life, and I am very proud of it.”
Nacho’s career is filled with proud achievements. A loyal one-club player until his move this summer, the Spanish defender dedicated 23 years to Real Madrid, where he won nearly every club trophy available—26 in total.
His impressive list of honors includes:
Nacho joined Real Madrid’s youth academy at age 10 in 2001 and left the club 23 years later. He made his senior team debut in 2012 when Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr and Karim Benzema of Al Ittihad were also in the squad. Over his career at the club, he played 364 matches.
However, having established his legendary status, Nacho sought a change.
“I had been feeling the need for a long time that I needed to try a new experience,” he explains.
“I spoke to my club about it several months ago and when the season ended, we solved it. It wasn’t an easy decision because leaving the club of my life has been very difficult, but I had thought it a lot and I needed a change, that radical change.”
It was advantageous that he already had a familiar face from Real Madrid at Al Qadsiah. Michel, who led the team to the First Division League title last season as manager, was a six-time La Liga champion with the Spanish giants. He also amassed numerous other trophies, including back-to-back UEFA Cups.
The renewed bond with his fellow countryman runs deep in Al Khobar.
“I have only been working with him for [a few] weeks, and he is how I have known him,” Nacho mentions. “It’s true that he has never been my coach directly, but I did know him from the Real Madrid youth academy.
“When he called me to come here to the club, things were much easier. I have the same desire that he has, so that is what is important: we both improve the team, which is what really matters here, and together we can do good things.”
With his decision made and his UEFA Euro 2024 winner’s medal added to his collection, Nacho joined his new manager and teammates last month. He was promptly appointed club captain, and efforts have been made to ensure his smooth transition from Spain to Saudi Arabia.
Although adapting to the summer heat and the nighttime, the Saudi lifestyle has required some adjustment.
“I am very happy,” Nacho notes. “I said it many months ago, I needed a completely different experience to the one I have had in my entire life and that’s what happened: a new country, a new culture. They have welcomed us very well, both my family and me. The truth is that today we are very happy because we have gotten used to it very quickly and they are treating us very well.”
“As I told you, I feel very comfortable from the first day. I feel very calm in the dressing room with people who treat you with a lot of affection, both here at the club and on the street. I’m especially excited about the Al Qadsiah project.”
Indeed, the project is captivating and one of the most ambitious in the RSL. As they returned to the Saudi Arabian top flight for the first time since 2021, Al Qadsiah was one of the most proactive clubs in the summer transfer market.
Alongside Nacho, they signed notable players such as former Arsenal, Barcelona, and Marseille striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Belgium international goalkeeper Koen Casteels, Uruguay international midfielder Nahitan Nandez, Mexican forward Julian Quinones, sought-after Argentine midfielder Ezequiel Fernandez, and several other international talents.
In the domestic market, Al Qadsiah also strengthened their squad with significant additions, including the returning Ali Hazazi and Saudi international Qassem Lajami. This substantial recruitment has enabled the team to start the 2024-25 RSL season with two wins from two matches: a 3-0 opening victory over Al Fateh and a 1-0 win at Al Raed.
Both the immediate and long-term future appear promising.
“It’s a new project, it’s a project where we have a lot of foreign players, with players who have a lot of potential here in the Saudi Pro League,” Nacho comments. “A new project that is different from the one I have had all my life, with ambition for the future, which is what is important. And, although we are starting from scratch, we want to go very far soon. ‘’
“It’s true that the project I have come to is for a team that’s going up from the [second tier], but anyway, we have renewed the whole team; we must start getting to know each other quickly to play well in the matches and we are working on it.”
At 34, Nacho feels central to that vision. He acknowledges and anticipates this role as he is accustomed to it.
“Above all, I want to show humility, professionalism, and dedication – it’s essential to staying in a sport,” he adds. “I have been showing it all my life, in a club as important as Real Madrid and now I want to do it here in my new club.”
“I want to contribute the most from my experience of everything I know when I’m on the pitch. Above all, giving security to the teammates I have around me is what a defender must do and to take on that leadership as captain, which is also important for the club.”
Al Qadsiah appears set to play a significant role in this season’s RSL. Perhaps, occasionally, good things can come in more than just threes.
“I am an ambitious player,” Nacho says. “I like to win. And I hope the next dream that we can fulfill will be to win a title with the Al Qadsiah.”
Watch the video below to hear more from Nacho about adapting to life in the Kingdom, his insights on Al Qadsiah’s fans, and his perspectives on the club’s young Saudi talents, and what he aims to bring as captain.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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