Former Atletico Madrid captain Gabi Fernandez has announced his retirement from professional football aged 37, as per reports from Marca.
Gabi played a key role for Diego Simeone’s side following his return to the club 2011 from Real Zaragoza, before eventually leaving for Qatari side Al-Sadd in 2018.
After coming through the Los Rojiblancos youth ranks he left the club in 2007 despite featuring regularly between 2005 and 2007.
Following four seasons, and a top-flight promotion at Zaragoza, he returned to his boyhood club and became the embodiment of Simeone’s style on the pitch.
He captained the team to a La Liga title in 2014, alongside the disappointment of two Champions League final defeats to arch rivals Real Madrid.
His 417 appearances across all competitions places him in eighth position on the club’s all time list, with former teammate Koke the highest current Atletico Madrid player, with 467.
Koke is expected to overtake second place club legend Enrique Collar in the coming weeks, with just three appearances separating them as it stands.
