Péter Gulácsi Leaves RB Leipzig After 11 years To Join Villarreal

One of the defining chapters in RB Leipzig's history has come to an end.

The Bundesliga club has officially confirmed the departure of Péter Gulácsi, with the Hungarian goalkeeper joining Villarreal after eleven seasons in Saxony. The move brings an end to a remarkable spell that saw Gulácsi evolve from the goalkeeper of an ambitious second-division side into one of the most influential figures in the club's rise to the European elite.

Villarreal, who finished third in La Liga last season, will offer the 36-year-old another opportunity to compete in the UEFA Champions League as he embarks on the final stage of his career.

Gulácsi arrived in Leipzig from Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2015, when the club were still competing in Germany's second division. Few could have predicted the impact he would go on to make.

Over the following eleven years, he made 362 competitive appearances, becoming the third-most-capped player in RB Leipzig history and establishing himself as one of the club's greatest servants.

His journey mirrored Leipzig's own transformation.

In his first season, Gulácsi helped the club secure promotion to the Bundesliga. From there came a runners-up finish in Germany's top flight, regular qualification for European competition, memorable runs to the Champions League semi-finals in 2020 and the Europa League semi-finals in 2022, before lifting the DFB-Pokal as captain in 2022, the first major trophy in RB Leipzig's history.

A second German Cup followed a year later, along with victory in the DFL Supercup, cementing Gulácsi's place among the most successful players ever to represent the club.

His influence, however, extended well beyond statistics.

Throughout more than a decade at Leipzig, Gulácsi became one of the squad's senior leaders, serving as captain for several seasons and earning a reputation for consistency, professionalism and calmness during both the club's rapid rise and its more challenging moments.

Sporting director Marcel Schäfer acknowledged that legacy when confirming the goalkeeper's departure.

"Pete is without a doubt one of the most important players in our club's history. When he joined us in 2015, we were still in the second division. Eleven years later, we are saying goodbye to a promotion hero, cup winner, former captain, and long-time pillar of support who has decisively shaped the development of RB Leipzig."

"In our discussions, Pete very openly and respectfully expressed his desire to take on a new sporting challenge at this stage of his career. At Villarreal, he will have the opportunity to play in La Liga and once again in the Champions League. After everything he has achieved for RB Leipzig, it was important for us to enable him to take this step."

The decision also reflects the changing landscape within Leipzig's squad.

Following the arrival of Martín Demichelis and a broader squad rebuild this summer, the club has begun transitioning toward a younger core. Gulácsi, whose contract had recently been extended, had slipped behind newer options in the goalkeeping hierarchy, making a move that offered regular football increasingly attractive for both player and club.

For Gulácsi himself, the farewell carried considerable emotion.

"After eleven years, this farewell is truly difficult for me. RB Leipzig was never just a club for me. Leipzig has become a second home for my family and me."

"I leave Leipzig with immense gratitude, pride, and a lot of emotion. RB Leipzig and this city will always be a part of me."

His departure closes one of the longest and most successful individual careers in RB Leipzig's history. As the club prepares for a new era, Gulácsi leaves behind a legacy built on promotion, trophies, European nights and more than a decade of consistency at the heart of Leipzig's rise.