UEFA
Zubimendi reveals more about Liverpool snub
The Real Sociedad midfielder appeared publicly in San Sebastian for the first time since his high-profile “no” to the Premier League giants in the summer.
Martín Zubimendi has finally opened up about his surprising decision in the summer to turn down a lucrative offer from Liverpool in order to stay at his lifelong club, Real Sociedad. It was a decision that many outside of San Sebastián didn’t fully understand, but the Basque midfielder says he is “at peace” with his choice, which is what matters most to him.
Why Zubimendi chose La Real over Liverpool
“It’s true those weren’t easy days, but I am very happy with the decision I made, which came from within. I think I found peace because I believed it was the best choice,” Zubimendi said during the press conference ahead of the Europa League match at the Reale Arena against Anderlecht on Thursday. Current Premier League leaders Liverpool face Bologna in Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Anfield.
He explained further that his decision was made from the heart.
“My philosophy is to always do what feels right in the moment, and so far, I’ve always chosen to stay. Yes, there was a lot of noise, it was an uncomfortable time, but I thought the best thing was to stay here, without overthinking it,” Zubimendi continued, acknowledging the difficulty of the situation.
“Like in every transfer window, things come up that you have to handle. In my case, it became uncomfortable because of all the noise more than anything, but I managed to block it all out, think carefully, and concluded that staying was the right decision. My choice came from within, and I won’t worry about how the league starts. The team has a lot of potential.”
Real Sociedad and ambition
Zubimendi also spoke about Real Sociedad’s ambition to compete for the Europa League title.
“Saying ‘win the Europa League’ is easy, but realistically, this team hasn’t shown that it can reach the final yet, as we’ve always been knocked out in the early stages. So, the goal is to improve on what we’ve done so far, and we’ll see how far we can go,” said Zubimendi, who is the only Real Sociedad player to have played every minute of the season so far.
“It’s a good problem to always be available; it gives you more options to play. I always say that I’m feeling good, I’m available, and right now, I’m not thinking about anything else. I’m ready for whatever comes.”