Álvaro Odriozola says he’s ready to hit the ground running at Bayern Munich

Yesterday, Bayern Munich officially confirmed the signing of Álvaro Odriozola from Real Madrid on a 6-month loan deal. The defender then gave his first press conference shortly after completing his medical and signing all of the necessary paperwork.

When he first sat down for his first official press conference alongside sporting director Hasan Salihamidiz, the first word he said into the microphone was German: “danke.” The gesture was not lost on observers. Despite having only been in Munich for less than 24 hours, the Spanish right-back said he wants to hit the ground running and is eager to be in the squad to face Schalke at the Allianz Arena this weekend (AZ):

I don’t want to lose any time and get started right away. I’m already thinking about the game against Schalke and would love to play.

Salihamidzic said the fact that Odriozola hadn’t been playing much for Real Madrid was actually a plus for Bayern: “because otherwise we couldn’t have gotten him.” Odriozola’s should mean that Hansi Flick can now exclusively feature Joshua Kimmich as a midfielder and move Benjamin Pavard to one of the center-back spots. Salihamidzic said, “We’re glad that we could fulfill his wish.”

Odriozola also indicated that he had inquired about Bayern with Real Madrid teammates and former-Bayern players Xabi Alonso, James Rodriguez, and Toni Kroos. Fellow Basque Xabi Alonso was especially helpful: “Xabi Alonso is a good friend of mine, he told me a lot of good things about Bayern and the city.” The advice made Odriozola’s decision easy:

I couldn’t be happier and I think that we’ll have a lot of fun here.

He was sure to end his press conference by signing off with a “Vielen Dank” before leaving the room while flashing a beaming smile.

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for FC Bayern