Spain's national soccer team player Joan Capdevila (Photo: Reuters)
The left back had a contract with Villarreal that ran until June 2013.
Capdevila, 33, earned the first of his 57 caps for Spain in 2002 and was a key member of the team that won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
He had short spells at Espanyol and Atletico Madrid early in his career before joining Deportivo Coruna and moved to Villarreal in 2007.
A reliable and experienced left back who likes to get forward and is an effective crosser, Capdevila is expected to replace Fabio Coentrao in the Benfica team following the Portuguese international’s move to Real Madrid earlier this month.
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