Akram Afif ready to make his mark at Villarreal
The player said he was “really happy” to be involved in “one of the best teams in Europe," and becomes the first Qatari to join a top flight Spanish side.
Qatari forward Akram Afif was officially unveiled as Villarreal CF player on Thursday. Both Villarreal’s vice president, Jose Manuel Llaneza, and the player discussed the hopes and aspirations for the club’s new addition.
Llaneza:” We are truly excited because he is the best player from Qatar. From now on, our second national team after the Spain is Qatar”.
Llaneza: “Akram’s arrival is great news for us. He’s been with us for a while but he couldn’t stay due to his age. Nevertheless, we’ve been following him closely and after seeing him grow, we’ve kept on at the people at Aspire because we wanted him to play for us. He’s a first-team player, and he will join the squad on pre-season and then we’ll see how far he can go. In sporting terms, he’s really important for us, and then there are other aspects for being able to establish relations with Qatar, which has to be our link”.
Llaneza: “This year we have already had 19- and 20-year-old players in the first team squad and they have been key figures. We are a club that gives young players a chance”.
Llaneza: “Akram’s arrival is purely a sporting one and it is not tied to anything else”.
Afif also spoke at the presentation and discussed the new challenge ahead.
Afif: “It is a dream for me. I am very happy to be at one of the best teams in Spain. I am going to work really hard here, to learn from the players around me and then take this experience with me when I play for Qatar”.
Afif: “I’m really grateful and it’s a pleasure to be able to play in LaLiga. Hopefully I can open the door for other players to play here”.