David Alaba to leave Real Madrid when his contract expires June 3

Real Madrid said on Friday that David Alaba will leave the club when his contract expires on June 30, ending the Austria defender’s five-year spell in Madrid. The club announced the departure in an official statement published on May 22 and said the Santiago Bernabéu would pay tribute to him on Saturday during the team’s final league match. Real Madrid thanked Alaba for his “professionalism, commitment and dedication” and said he would “always be in the hearts of all madridistas.” ### What exactly did Real Madrid announce? The May 22 statement said Alaba will cease to be a Real Madrid player when his contract runs out on June 30. Real Madrid said club president Florentino Pérez described Alaba as “one of the great legends of world football” and said the defender had represented the club’s values “in an exemplary manner.” (realmadrid.com) The club’s English-language statement also said, “Real Madrid will always be his home,” and wished Alaba and his family well “in this new chapter of their lives.” The announcement did not name his next club or say whether he had decided on his next move. ### How long was Alaba at Real Madrid, and what did he win? (realmadrid.com) Alaba’s player page on Real Madrid’s website lists his time at the club as beginning in 2021. The same page credits him with four European Cups, four Club World Cups, four European Super Cups, two Spanish league titles, one Copa del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups. (realmadrid.com) Real Madrid’s statement said Alaba won 13 titles with the club. The club singled out his role in “one of the most iconic images” of the 2022 European Cup triumph, when he celebrated with a chair held aloft after the final in Paris — a moment the club linked to “La Decimocuarta,” or the team’s 14th European title. (realmadrid.com) ### Why did the club mention that chair celebration? Real Madrid used the image as shorthand for Alaba’s place in one of the club’s recent landmark victories. The statement said his chair celebration after the 2022 final became one of the defining images of that title run. (realmadrid.com) The club did not add further explanation in the statement, but its decision to highlight that moment placed it alongside his list of trophies and its farewell message. ### What was Alaba’s role this season? Alaba’s Real Madrid player page shows he made 15 appearances in the 2025-26 season and played 505 minutes across competitions. (realmadrid.com) In La Liga, the page lists 10 appearances, four starts and six substitute outings. The official announcement did not give a sporting reason for the departure. (realmadrid.com) It focused on his record, the titles won during his time at the club and the planned tribute at the Bernabéu. ### When will supporters see him honored? The Bernabéu tribute is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, on the occasion of Real Madrid’s final league match, according to the club statement. (realmadrid.com) Real Madrid’s homepage lists that game as a La Liga meeting with Athletic Club at the Bernabéu. (realmadrid.com) Saturday’s ceremony gives supporters a final home occasion to mark Alaba’s departure before his contract ends on June 30. Real Madrid’s official statement remains the club’s public record of the exit, and no further announcement on his next destination was included there. (realmadrid.com)