Thiago: "I gave it a lot of thought, but Pep convinced me"

Posted Wednesday, July 17, 2013 by Marca.com

Thiago: After being officially introduced as a Bayern player, midfielder Thiago Alcántara confirmed what we all already knew: that his arrival owed a lot to Pep Guardiola, whom he termed "influential" in his career.

Having duly passed a medical, Thiago faced the media, when he admitted that the new Bayern boss had played a big role in his decision. "I haven't had any other coach like Pep Guardiola in my career", the youngster pointed out.

"I gave it a lot, I mean a lot of thought, have analysed my last season at Barça. But after the Euros finished, Pep called me and I made my mind up", Thiago explained.

Nevertheless, Thiago also acknowledged that it had been a wrench to leave Catalonia, while welcoming the profile of his new club: "There are not many clubs at the level of Bayern Munich or Barcelona. It was not easy to move, because Barça was my home", he claimed.

Finally, the starlet posed with his new shirt – he will wear number 6 – and looked ahead to what he hopes will be a productive four-year spell in Munich. "If there can only be one day in life when I can feel completely and utterly happy, today should be that day", he added.