Ex-Real Madrid midfielder joins Real Betis as a free agent

Former Real Madrid and Sevilla midfielder Isco Alarcon have joined La Liga club side Real Betis as a free agent. This was revealed by the club on Wednesday in a statement on the club’s social media page.

The former Spain midfielder left Sevilla last season after playing 18 games for them; he joined Sevilla in 2022 after leaving Real Madrid, where he was for eight years, racking up over 300 appearances.

However, despite signing 2 years contract with Sevilla in 2022, he left the club after less than six months because he didn’t meet up to the expectations in terms of performance, according to the then-club manager Jorge Sampaoli.

“Isco is a great boy, and I wish him the best; he leaves a player who has great capacity, but he did not meet the club’s expectations.’ Sampaoli said, as reported by Marca.

With his move to Real Betis, he has signed a contract until 2024. Isco’s best times were at Real Madrid CF, which he joined in 2013. In the nine seasons he played for Los Blancos, Isco played 353 games and won 19 titles, including 5 Champions League. 

Isco last played for Spain in 2019, but irrespective as an international with Spain, he played on 38 occasions, scoring 12 goals. 

Meanwhile, Isco is the second free agent that will be joining the club after Hector Bellerin left Sporting Lisbon this summer to return to La Liga.

Real Betis still has three different pre-season fixtures before their opening La Liga game against Villarreal on Sunday, August 13, at the Yellow Submarines’s home of the Estadio De La Ceramica. They will play Burnley on Friday before facing Sevilla and Real Sociedad.

Real Betis finished in sixth place last season on the La Liga table and will be playing in the UEFA Europa League.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu