Sevilla terminated the contract of club legend Fernando by mutual agreement on Friday, according to an official statement.
“Sevilla FC and Fernando Reges have reached an agreement to terminate the Brazilian midfielder’s contract with the club until June 2024,” it begins, explaining that the player had privately asked for progression “for non-public reasons” in order to return to his homeland.
The Seville Declaration was written as an obituary of his European career and highlighted how his “prolific” tenure in the Old Continent began in 2007, when he signed for Porto.
Fernando has won the league 4 times in Portugal in addition to seven domestic cups and his first Europa League crown.
To some, joining Galatasaray in 2017 could have been considered a step down the ladder. In Turkey, though, Fernando became a national champion twice and also won the cup.
Sevilla joined him with a $5 million acquisition in 2019, and then etched his call into club folklore through a central role in two Europa League triumphs in 2020 and 2023.
Fernando made 167 appearances for the Andalusians, scoring seven goals and providing 10 assists from defensive midfield.
The 36-year-old, however, has been reduced to just 4 La Liga games this season and has appeared in the Champions League, where a fourth-place finish at the back of Group B failed Sevilla to qualify for the Europa League.
The club said it was grateful to Fernando for his “performance and professionalism” since arriving at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and added that the player will announce his farewell in the coming days.
According to Relevo, Fernando requested the termination of his contract because of a close family member recently dying in an accident in Brazil.
The Spanish sports website further reports that other contracts nearing expiry, including those of Oliver Torres and Erik Lamela, could also be rescinded by Sevilla in the upcoming January transfer market.