Joaquin, the captain of Real Betis, a competitor in the Spanish football league, announced today, Wednesday, that he will retire at the end of the current season, bringing to a close a 23-year career. He stated, "The time has come," and confirmed that this is his final season with Betis. He added, "But this is not a final goodbye because I will remain by your side, defending my life, as Real Betis has become my life."
After leaving Betis in 2006, Joaquin played for Valencia, Malaga, and Fiorentina before returning to Betis in 2015. He led his team to win the Copa del Rey last season, the first title for the Spanish team in 17 years, when Joaquin won his first Copa del Rey title in 2005. In 2008, he won the tournament with Valencia.
With nine matches left in the season, Joaquin is seven matches away from equaling the record of goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, the all-time leader in appearances in La Liga with 622 matches.
