:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61052277/Rudy_Schalke.0.jpg)
Sebastian Rudy made his long expected exit from Bayern Munich yesterday, but the midfielder sat down with his new club, Schalke 04, to talk through how the process worked and when he decided to leave Bavaria:
After two weeks of preseason in Munich I decided that I needed a change. I spent a lot of time discussing with my family what the best option for me was. I am married, we have a one-year-old son and a dog – the club I joined would have to fit all my criteria. We all want to be comfortable and that the decision I’d take would be long-term. We decided fully that Schalke 04 would be the best club to join.
Rudy, who will don the number 13 for Die Königsblauen, also spoke about Schalke coach Domenico Tedesco and how important it was for the player to be aligned with the coach prior to making the move:
Domenico Tedesco and the entire club made a big effort with me and that left a very good impression on me. The coach explained to me at our meeting what his thoughts on me were and how he wanted to use me. He didn’t just talk about the positives; he also discussed areas of my game where I can improve. It was fascinating to see how prepared Domenico Tedesco and his team were. That was something I took into consideration when picking Schalke. Domenico Tedesco was a youth coach at Hoffenheim during my time there but unfortunately we never met.
Sebastian #Rudy chatted to us about his role, his motivation and his dog ⚒️
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) August 28, 2018
Check out his first interview as a miner https://t.co/T6DTnzZsoe pic.twitter.com/dmkPPmA9Pu
Rudy will be working to compete for playing time right away and is ready for the challenge:
I would like to play as much as I can but also to be an important piece of the puzzle. At the age of 28, I feel like I am near my prime and I can bring a lot of experience to the team and help the younger players develop. I know that we have several good players in my position in central midfield and so we will all have to compete for that position. However, we will be playing many games this season so I am convinced everyone will get a lot of playing time.
Finally, Rudy touched on why Schalke appealed to him when debating where he should play next:
FC Schalke 04 are one of the biggest clubs in Germany with fantastic fans. As a visiting team, it was never easy playing in the Veltins arena, as they always had a ‘twelfth man’ in the fans. I am glad that I have the Schalke fans behind me now. Maybe I will play against Hertha BSC on Sunday but that decision is up to my coach.