DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Portugal left back Raphaël Guerreiro announced his departure from Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, a day after the team lost the Bundesliga title race to Bayern Munich.
“After seven amazing years, it’s time for me to say goodbye to you all with a lot of sadness,” Guerreiro wrote to Dortmund fans on Instagram. “The memories I made here taught me a lot on myself on the pitch but also helped me a lot knowing what I really love in football.”
Guerreiro played in midfield and scored a goal in Dortmund’s 2-2 draw with Mainz in the Bundesliga’s final round on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Bayern edging Dortmund to the title on goal difference after the 10-time defending champion’s late 2-1 win in Cologne.
Guerreiro’s Instagram post included a picture of himself looking dejected after the final whistle.
The 29-year-old Guerreiro made 36 appearances for Dortmund across all competitions this season, scoring six goals and setting up 14 more, but he turned down the club’s offer of a two-year contract extension. He arrived as a 22-year-old from French team Lorient in 2016 and scored 30 goals in 162 Bundesliga games altogether for the German club.
“I will never forget the love I got from the fans and my teammates during these seven years,” wrote Guerreiro, who also won the German Cup twice with Dortmund. He said the farewells were “the hardest of my career.”
He did not say where he will play next.
Guerreiro has played 62 times for Portugal, helping his country win the European Championship in 2016.
Dortmund is reportedly in talks with Algeria left back Ramy Bensebaini as a successor. Bensebaini’s contract with Borussia Mönchengladbach expires at the end of the season.
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