Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets to leave club at end of season

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Sergio Busquets, a longtime Barcelona player and team captain, will leave the Spanish football powerhouse at the end of the season, the 34-year-old defensive midfielder confirmed on Wednesday.

"Hello culers! The time has come to announce that this will be my last season with Barça," Busquets said in an emotional video on Twitter posted by the club.

"It has been an unforgettable journey. Since I was a child coming to the matches or watching them on TV, I always dreamed of playing with this shirt and at this stadium. And reality has exceeded all my dreams," he said.

Busquets added that it was "an honor, a dream, a source of pride" to play for Barcelona for so many years, but it was not an easy decision for him to leave his boyhood club.

Busquets, a Barcelona senior team player since 2008, thanked all people especially his teammates at the club for their contribution and support.

His contract with the club will end in June.

He joined Barcelona in 2005 to play for the Spanish club's youth team. Then Busquets was promoted to Barcelona B, and the senior team in 2008.

He played 718 matches in a Barcelona shirt to score 18 goals and make 40 assists that made him third on the all-time appearance list for Barcelona.

He is one of the most decorated Barcelona players with 31 titles.

Busquets helped Barcelona win eight Spanish La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, seven Spanish Super Cups, three UEFA Champions League titles, three UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups.

The experienced midfielder won the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA EURO 2012 with the Spanish national team.

Sergio is the son of Carles Busquets, who was a Barcelona goalkeeper in 1990-1999.