FC Barcelona’s latest signing Sergiño Dest (19) has said his final goodbyes to former club Ajax in a video uploaded on the Ajax YouTube channel.
ON CHOOSING BARÇA INSTEAD OF BAYERN MUNICH
“FC Barcelona has a Dutch coach and their right-back just left the club. I thought there would be more opportunities for me in terms of playing time.”
“It is hard to pick between these European top clubs. When you are young, you dream of opportunities like this, and I have worked hard for it. I know it is early to make a step like this, but I believe in myself, I know my qualities and I love challenges.”
“I have weighed the pros and cons of both clubs and think there are more chances for me at Barça than at Bayern Munich.”
ON THE RUMOURS PRIOR TO HIS MOVE
“There certainly was a lot of commotion. People even drew conclusions based on things I posted on my Instagram, but this was not the case. However, I stayed calm. A lot of questions were asked, but in the end, it all worked out.”
ON RONALD KOEMAN
“He did not manage to convince me to play for the Dutch national team, but he did bring me to Barcelona. He has good plans for me, he knows I can play as both right-back and left-back. We are both confident, I think that is the most important.”
ON FRENKIE DE JONG
“To be honest, I don’t know Frenkie that well, I haven’t contacted him ahead of my transfer, but I’m sure we will be friends once I arrive.”
ON PLAYING WITH MESSI
“It is very nice to get the chance to play with him, he is the best player in the world. I thought about how it would be to share a pitch with him a couple of times, but that is not the reason I made this decision.”
ON SAYING GOODBYE TO HIS AJAX TEAMMATES
“The manager made me stand up and it was a special moment. A few of the boys already felt it coming because of the rumours. It was very quiet in the dressing room, they were happy for me, but it was still a bit of a shock. Eventually, they all congratulated me. It was a special moment, but very difficult to say goodbye.”
ON HIS YEARS AT AJAX
“I came here when I was eleven, so I’ve spent almost half of my life at this club. That makes it very hard to leave. I have learnt a lot during my time here and I have lots of beautiful memories. This club is like a big family. Ajax is definitely the best club in the Netherlands.”
“It is very difficult, I’m slowly starting to realise it. I’m already starting to miss Ajax, the club has been a big part of my life and now it’s suddenly over. I will probably fully realise everything in a few years when I have more peace of mind. I’m hoping to come back in the future and wish everyone the best.”
