Gabi was delighted with the welcome offered by the Japanese fans to Atlético de Madrid upon its arrival to Saga. Our captain answered the media just after they landed and expressed his excitement for playing in Japan: "We are delighted to arrive in Japan and see Atlético fans who were not seen before. The welcome has been spectacular. It’s a great experience for us to come and play here."

We are delighted to arrive in Japan and see fans of Atlético who were not seen before

The midfielder stressed how important it is for the club to play in countries such as Japan and China, strategic in the international expansion of the entity: "This shows that the club continues to grow and expand in leaps and bounds all over the world thanks to the sporting results. This is a region we wanted to get to know, that we wanted to visit to enjoy their culture."

He also spoke about how the team is at this stage of the pre-season: "I see the team well. We are slowly picking up the pace that the coach demands from us. There are 25 days left to begin to compete and the beginning is going to be very hard, so we must prepare well."

As for the hopes of the team for the season, Gabi does not want to break out the champagne just yet: "Perhaps people have become very excited by the names that have arrived, but there is always hope. Let’s hope that they adapt soon."