Real Madrid on Wednesday confirmed they have agreed the loan of defender Fabio Coentrao to Sporting Lisbon until 2018.
"Real Madrid C.F. and Sporting Clube de Portugal have agreed the loan of the player Fabio Coentrao until 30 June 2018," the Spanish club said in a statement on its official website.
"Welcome to the Lions, @Fabio_Coentrao," the Portuguese club tweeted.
Coentrao joined La Liga champions in 2011 and his contract expires in 2019, but he had only minutes during the past season with the team, coached by Zinedine Zidane.
The Portuguese defender, who was also on loan at Monaco in the 2015/16 season, returns to the Portuguese league, where he previously played in Rio Ave, Nacional and Benfica.