Juanfran: “I’m proud to wear this jersey and belong to this Club”
“This is the best birthday gift I could receive”
Juanfran was happy in the VIP Room. He was accompanied by his parents, family members and agents and he will always remember 12 January 2011 as the day he was presented as an Atlético player and included in a matchday roster to face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Club and stadium where he made his First Division debut. His arrival at Club Atlético de Madrid was now reality and he was clearly excited during his presentation.
“I’d like to thank the President for his words and the Club for the effort they’ve made to bring me here. I’d also like to thank Osasuna for the opportunity they’ve given me to come to such a grand club. I have to say that I’m very proud to wear this jersey. I have teammates who have spoken very well of this club. They told me that it’s a big family and that I’ll feel at home here. I hope that this is my team, my Club, and my family for many years,” he stated.
He spoke about the three teams in which he’s played during his path through the First Division. “Real Madrid, Espanyol and, until days ago, Osasuna, form part of my past. I truly thank all three teams for the wonderful times they’ve given me in my athletic career, but for me as new stage has begun at Atlético de Madrid and the most important thing from here on out is Atlético de Madrid. I just hope that the supporters are happy with me, showing them me seriousness and hard work on and off the pitch, and I want them to know that Atlético de Madrid is the most important thing in my life. From now on I hope that this amazing fan group that Atlético de Madrid has will see in me a player in whom they can trust.”
Asked if coming to Atlético de Madrid just days after turning 26 was a birthday present, Juanfran was sincere in responding “absolutely. Together with the personal gift given me by my wife and my son, signing with Atlético de Madrid is the best present I could receive. I’ve arrived at a big club in Spain and one that has shown its confidence in me.”
Quique Sánchez Flores has already included him the squad list for the Copa del Rey fixture against Real Madrid. 'I played against Getafe on Sunday. Physically I feel very good and I’m available to Quique for whatever he needs me, to play, to be with the squad, to form part of the group or for any other thing that is necessary to be able to eliminate Real Madrid.”
The Atlético manager knows him because they coincided in the Real Madrid junior categories. “I know that there’s been a large interest from the Club as well as from the coach for me to wear this jersey from the beginning and I thank both him and the Club for that. I have nothing but kind words for Quique because I’ve been a player who could have played in his side for a long time. Now that we’re together I thank him for his interest.”
He doesn’t want the fans to compare him to Simão, a player who made a mark at Atlético and from whom he inherits the number 20. “The supporters need to understand that I’m not Simão, I’m Juanfran. I’ve been told that Simão was characterised in that he was a team player, a Club player who worked as just another member of the team and that’s what I’m going to try to do. I’ve come to add to this squad and I want my teammates to know that I’m a team player and that I’m going to give everything I’ve got for this Club.'
To finish, he was asked how his new team looked from afar. “I’m not the only person who is going to bring consistency to this team. We’re a squad with twenty-something players and amongst all of us we have to help the manager and the manager has to help us to reach the goal, which is very clear: to qualify for Champions League and, right now, to eliminate Real Madrid. Amongst all of us we can accomplish that and I’m going to start helping now. What I want most is for things to go well for us and for Atlético de Madrid supporters to see that this team is going to compete and try to make its fans happy.”
“I’d like to thank the President for his words and the Club for the effort they’ve made to bring me here. I’d also like to thank Osasuna for the opportunity they’ve given me to come to such a grand club. I have to say that I’m very proud to wear this jersey. I have teammates who have spoken very well of this club. They told me that it’s a big family and that I’ll feel at home here. I hope that this is my team, my Club, and my family for many years,” he stated.
He spoke about the three teams in which he’s played during his path through the First Division. “Real Madrid, Espanyol and, until days ago, Osasuna, form part of my past. I truly thank all three teams for the wonderful times they’ve given me in my athletic career, but for me as new stage has begun at Atlético de Madrid and the most important thing from here on out is Atlético de Madrid. I just hope that the supporters are happy with me, showing them me seriousness and hard work on and off the pitch, and I want them to know that Atlético de Madrid is the most important thing in my life. From now on I hope that this amazing fan group that Atlético de Madrid has will see in me a player in whom they can trust.”
Asked if coming to Atlético de Madrid just days after turning 26 was a birthday present, Juanfran was sincere in responding “absolutely. Together with the personal gift given me by my wife and my son, signing with Atlético de Madrid is the best present I could receive. I’ve arrived at a big club in Spain and one that has shown its confidence in me.”
Quique Sánchez Flores has already included him the squad list for the Copa del Rey fixture against Real Madrid. 'I played against Getafe on Sunday. Physically I feel very good and I’m available to Quique for whatever he needs me, to play, to be with the squad, to form part of the group or for any other thing that is necessary to be able to eliminate Real Madrid.”
The Atlético manager knows him because they coincided in the Real Madrid junior categories. “I know that there’s been a large interest from the Club as well as from the coach for me to wear this jersey from the beginning and I thank both him and the Club for that. I have nothing but kind words for Quique because I’ve been a player who could have played in his side for a long time. Now that we’re together I thank him for his interest.”
He doesn’t want the fans to compare him to Simão, a player who made a mark at Atlético and from whom he inherits the number 20. “The supporters need to understand that I’m not Simão, I’m Juanfran. I’ve been told that Simão was characterised in that he was a team player, a Club player who worked as just another member of the team and that’s what I’m going to try to do. I’ve come to add to this squad and I want my teammates to know that I’m a team player and that I’m going to give everything I’ve got for this Club.'
To finish, he was asked how his new team looked from afar. “I’m not the only person who is going to bring consistency to this team. We’re a squad with twenty-something players and amongst all of us we have to help the manager and the manager has to help us to reach the goal, which is very clear: to qualify for Champions League and, right now, to eliminate Real Madrid. Amongst all of us we can accomplish that and I’m going to start helping now. What I want most is for things to go well for us and for Atlético de Madrid supporters to see that this team is going to compete and try to make its fans happy.”
