Real Betis presents Facundo Bernal, Fran García, Diego Conde as first Champions League signings

Facundo Bernal, Fran García, and Diego Conde — the first three signings of Real Betis for the 2026-27 season — were officially presented this Friday in the 'lounge' room of the Ciudad Deportiva Luis del Sol. Club president Ángel Haro and director of professional football Manu Fajardo welcomed the reinforcements as the summer transfer market begins.

"We are facing a historic season; it had been 21 years since we last qualified for the Champions League and, therefore, all of us who are part of the club will have to give our maximum. It will be an exciting season, but also demanding. On the sporting front, our goal is to compete again to be in Europe and for that we have players like those who accompany us today," said President Ángel Haro.

"The first to arrive was Facundo Bernal, a 22-year-old Uruguayan midfielder, a player who, being very young, already made the leap to Brazil, to a competitive league, and has now decided to come to Europe with Betis. He has excellent reports from the sports management and technical secretariat. I am sure you will do well in a position that is key for us.

"Then Fran García, a well-known player, has played for Rayo Vallecano, Real Madrid and has played in the Champions League. He occupies a position we need; he is a player who comes to be important and has excellent references both sporting and personal. I am convinced he will do well here at Betis.

"And finally, Diego Conde, a 27-year-old goalkeeper from Madrid. The goal is one of the positions that has undergone the most changes at Betis. We need a reliable player and Diego meets the requirements to be the goalkeeper of Real Betis Balompié," explained the Betis leader before giving way to the three new signings.

Facundo Bernal: A Positional 'Five'

The Uruguayan midfielder took advantage of his presentation to define himself as a footballer:

"I am a positional five who can also play as a mixed midfielder. I think I can bring a lot of dynamism to the midfield, as well as aggressiveness and clean play coming out from the back. Those are my characteristics and I also contribute a lot on a personal level."

Fran García: A Guaranteed Signing

The full-back from La Mancha was clear about his commitment to Betis:

"We already know what the League is, what it means to arrive at a club like Betis. From the moment you walk through the door you see how big the club is, the camaraderie there is, there isn't a single bad face, on the contrary, everyone is willing to help, to make you feel comfortable. For people like us who arrive new to a place we didn't know, the fact that they can help you, open their hand and give you that opportunity to get to know people... I had the chance to go directly to the training camp in Germany and it was a week to get to know the people I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting, and I'm very happy."

Álvaro Fidalgo, a former teammate of Fran García at Real Madrid, participated in the welcome video for the full-back. García also spoke about him and Isco:

"With Isco, before it became official, he did recommend me to come here, that it was an incredible club, that both the entity and the teammates who are at the club day-to-day are something wonderful. The first moment you walk through the door you realize that. With Álvaro I was talking because he congratulated me, he welcomed me by phone. Hopefully soon the teammates who are yet to join the group will arrive and we will all be united soon."

Diego Conde: Fajardo's Firm Bet

The goalkeeper was a quick and firm bet by Manu Fajardo and the Sports Management as soon as Pau López announced his decision to terminate his contract to go to Andorra. The Madrid native shared his experience of arriving at the club.

Related links:

• Diego Conde, new Betis goalkeeper until 2027: arrives on loan with purchase option
• Transfer market | Signings, departures and latest news, live today...