Right-back departs as one of the most decorated players in the club’s history, with 27 trophies
Dani Carvajal said his departure from Real Madrid marked “the end of a marvellous era” after bringing down the curtain on a 13-year first-team career in Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Athletic Club at the Bernabeu.
The 34-year-old was given a guard of honour by both teams and received a standing ovation when substituted late in the match, his final appearance after Madrid confirmed earlier this week that the academy graduate would leave at the end of the season following an injury-disrupted campaign.
Carvajal departs as one of the most decorated players in the club’s history, winning 27 trophies and trailing only former teammate Luka Modric in Madrid’s all-time honours list. He was part of all six of the club’s recent Champions League triumphs, from the Decima in 2014 through to the victories of 2022 and 2024.
Having spent a decade in Madrid’s academy system before a season at Bayer Leverkusen, Carvajal returned in 2013 and became a fixture during the club’s dominant European cycle under successive managers including Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane.
Madrid also bid farewell to David Alaba, whose five-year spell brought two league titles and two Champions League trophies.
Reflecting on his exit, Carvajal said: “Today I also can’t forget the golden era that we’ve lived through. With my departure today, it’s the end of a marvellous era. An era of four Champions League trophies in five years, the Decima, three in a row.”
