MADRID, March 9 (Reuters) - Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos
has said he will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season after
11 years at the club.
'I'm not going to renew my contract. I think the moment has come
for me to put an end to my time at the club and leave them to start
a new project,' the 33-year-old told sports daily Marca on
Friday.
'I'm sure about it. My time at Real Madrid has ended. After three
years without winning anything I had to take a decision.'
The former Brazil international said he had not yet decided where
he would continue his career.
'I don't know whether I will continue in Europe or maybe I need to
be back in Brazil close to my family.'
Roberto Carlos joined Real Madrid from Inter Milan in 1996 during
Fabio Capello's first spell as coach at the club.
Since then he has been a fixture in the team, winning three
European Cups, three league titles and two World Club Cups during
his time at the club.
He has made more appearances for Real than any other foreign-born
player and has been a prolific goalscorer despite being a defender,
notching up 45 goals in the league and 15 in the Champions
League.
He quit international soccer after Brazil's 1-0 World Cup
quarter-final defeat by France last year.
He picked up a calf injury during Real's 2-1 defeat at Bayern
Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday and will be out of
action for between three and four weeks.
Real signed another Brazilian Marcelo to provide cover for Roberto
Carlos in the January transfer window and youth team defender
Miguel Torres has also filled in at left back in recent
games.
'My departure will help the youngsters like Marcelo and Miguel
Torres,' he said. 'They are the future and have to be given a
chance to develop. I have to look for motivation in another team,
another country, another place.'
