Sevilla, competing in the Spanish La Liga, announced today, Tuesday, the departure of former Croatian international midfielder Ivan Rakitić after his second stint at the club, as he transfers to Saudi Al-Shabab. The player's contract was set to expire at the end of the current season. Sevilla stated in a statement: "We have reached an agreement with Al-Shabab for the transfer of Ivan Rakitić, who will conclude his second period with us."
Rakitić, who played for Sevilla in his first stint from 2011 to 2014 after transferring from German club Schalke, returned to Sevilla in September 2020 after spending six years at Barcelona. The former international midfielder helped his team last year to extend their record by winning the UEFA Europa League title for the seventh time, following their first victory in the 2013-2014 season during his first period at the club.
Rakitić, who has been the team’s vice-captain until now, became the most-capped foreign player in Sevilla’s history and the only one to participate in over 300 matches for the club (323 matches). During his time at Barcelona, Rakitić won the UEFA Champions League in the 2014-2015 season, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. He also secured four league titles, four Copa del Rey titles, and two Spanish Super Cups.
Rakitić (35 years old) has played more than a hundred international matches with the Croatian national team between 2007 and 2019, contributing to the team's second-place finish in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
