Sevilla have terminated the contract of former Real Madrid and Spain star Isco, just four months into his two-year contract.
The Benalmadena-born attacking midfielder hit the crossroad in his La Liga football career after reaching an agreement to end his two-year contract.
Sevilla signed Isco, 30, on August 7, 2022. The club announced an agreement with the former Valencia Academy graduate on a two-year deal in August 2022.
The contract would have seen him stay in Seville till 2024. In a shock move by the record Europa League winners, Isco is set to leave the club just four months into his two-year deal.
The move is a major twist in Isco’s career after his successful stint at La Liga and European giant Real Madrid.
Isco had a good career during his days at Valencia, but his career piqued when he joined Real Madrid in 2013.
After nine years with the club, Isco announced his exit from the Bernabeu in 2022. He won the Champions League, La Liga, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and Copa Del Rey.
His contract termination at Sevilla may not come as a surprise after the Sevillistas struggled this season in La Liga and Champions League.
The six times Europa League winners sacked former manager Julen Lopetegui following a series of jaw-dropping results that saw the team crash out of the Champions League group stages.
They also struggled in La Liga and are currently languished in the relegation zone in the La Liga table after 14 games.
Julen Lopetegui, now Wolves manager in the Premier League, was replaced by 62-year-old Agentine-born tactician Jorge Sampaoli.
Apparently, Isco has not fit into the plan and strategy of Sevilla’s new manager. Hence, the need to call off the contract.
Announcing the decision to terminate the contract, Sevilla wrote;
“The club would like to wish Isco the very best of luck for the future.”
The Malaga Golden Boy has made 19 appearances for Sevilla, scoring one goal and delivering three assists since joining the club.
At his presentation at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in Seville in August, over 10,000 fans trouped into the stadium to attend the ceremony. Sevilla fans banked on the experienced midfielder, but his fortunes dwindled when the poor results started trickling in, leading to the sack of Julen Lopetegui.
When Jorge Sampaoli arrived as the new manager, Isco reportedly fell out with the new manager, including the sporting director Monchi during training.
Isco soared in prominence at Santiago Bernabeu after he joined the team from Malaga in 2013. He scored 53 goals in 353 games for Real Madrid. However, his fortunes at the club dwindled after Real Madrid prioritized younger midfielders, signing the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Vinicius Jr.
He was an unused substitute in his last days at the club. This triggered his move to Sevilla after struggling to break into the first team under Carlo Ancelotti.
Isco is also falling off the pecking order in Spain. He has made 38 appearances for the national team, scoring 12 goals, but last featured for the team in 2019.
