Marco Asencio reflects on exit from Real Madrid, says 'I felt it was the right time'

Marco Asensio has opened up on his Real Madrid exit, saying that the time had come for him to leave the side. Currently playing for Fenerbahce, Asensio spent eight trophy-laden years at Real Madrid before joining Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in 2023.

Marco Asensio opens up on his exit from Real Madrid

In an interview to Marca, the Spanish forward rejected the notion that he rued the decision to leave Real Madrid, insisting that his exit decision was 'personal' rather than a sporting or financial one.

“No, I don't regret it because in my last year I won the title I was missing, the Copa del Rey,” he said. “You have to know when to leave a place. I felt immense affection from the fans, from Florentino, from the coach... But I felt it was the right time. It wasn't a sporting or financial decision, but a personal one. I wanted to set new goals because I needed a change in my life, in my career... Real Madrid will always be my home because I've been a Madridista since I was little, but I felt it was time to try something new.”

During his stint at Real Madrid, Asensio was known for his impact in crunch situations. He also built a reputation as impactful substitute, often coming off the bench to score important, game-winning goals.

Till date, he is the all-time top-scoring substitute in the UEFA Champions League with 10 goals, surpassing icons like Thomas Muller, Karim Benzema, and Ole Gunner Solksjaer, who all have seven goals as substitutes in the competition.

Marco Asensio remembers farewell at Real Madrid

In the same interview, Asensio spoke about his last moments at Real Madrid, recalling that he had a 'wonderful moment alone' with club president Florentino Perez. The Spanish player confirmed his exit from Santiago Bernabeu on June 3, 2023, before Los Blancos confirmed his exit in a statement on their official website.

On his farewell, he added:

“Speaking now about the farewell, Florentino and I had a beautiful, intimate moment. It was a beautiful farewell at the stadium, but before the match, I had a wonderful moment alone with Florentino, and I remember it very fondly. Just the two of us, in a room, in a very private moment, talking about life, about how the transfer had gone, about our families... It was incredible.”

With Madrid, Asensio won 17 titles, consisting of three back-to-back titles and three LaLiga trophies.