Chema Andrés was paid a surprise visit by three of his new team-mates after completing his move to VfB Stuttgart on Friday. The 20-year-old Spanish midfielder was posing for the cameras in his new VfB shirt when Atakan Karazor, Deniz Undav and Noah Darvich appeared out of the blue and welcomed their new colleague to Cannstatt with an enthusiastic ‘Hola!’ – much to the delight of the youngster. VfB’s fourth summer signing, ‘Chema’ is determined to flourish in his new environment after leaving Real Madrid in order to take the next step in his fledgling career. Here is his first interview as a VfB player, in association with team partner EgeTrans:
Chema, a warm welcome to VfB. Your new team-mates just stopped by the photo studio to say hello. What are your first impressions?
Chema Andrés: “It’s a really exciting day – I’m very happy to be here. It’s obviously great that a couple of the lads from the team have dropped by just to say hello before my first training session. It gives me a very positive feeling that I’ll be able to settle in quickly at VfB.”
Did you know any of your team-mates before joining VfB?
Chema Andrés: “Yes, I knew Noah Darvich, for example, because he was also playing in Spain with Barcelona. He speaks very good Spanish, which obviously helps at the beginning. As far as my position is concerned, I also keep close tabs on Atakan Karazor and Angelo Stiller, including their style of play. Deniz just appeared in the photo studio and we had a lot of fun.”
Your full name is José María ‘Chema’ Andrés Baixauli. What name will you have on the back of your shirt?
Chema Andrés: “I’ll have ‘Chema’ on my shirt and I’ll wear the number 30. That suits me very nicely.”
At 20 years old, you’re leaving your home country and venturing abroad for the first time. Why did you choose the Bundesliga and VfB in particular?
Chema Andrés: “The Bundesliga is a great league – I’ve always dreamt of moving to a special club in one of the top leagues and taking my next steps there. I can’t wait to meet the fans and play in the stadium for the first time. VfB have made remarkable progress in recent years and have just won the domestic cup. Hopefully we can build on that – I want to do my bit to help us win a lot of games and be successful.”
Many VfB fans won’t have seen you play yet. How would you describe your style of play?
Chema Andrés: “I like to sacrifice myself for the team and to fight. I also view my position and role in midfield as helping to control and direct games. I want to ensure that my team-mates can perform at their best and get into good positions.”
