Demichelis makes City switch

02 September 2013 08:46

Martin Demichelis admitted the chance to join Manchester City and be reunited with Manuel Pellegrini was too good to turn down.

The 32-year-old Argentinian defender has joined the 2011/12 Premier League champions on a two-year contract after City prised him away from Atletico Madrid, the club he joined earlier in the summer as a free agent.

City missed out on recruiting Demichelis without a fee being involved and will have compensated Atletico for the loss of a player they only briefly knew.

However, Pellegrini was keen to bring the player he has previously coached at River Plate and Malaga to the Etihad Stadium, and Demichelis hopes he can play a big part in the club's pursuit of silverware under the Chilean manager.

Long-haired centre-back Demichelis, who spent seven years at Bayern Munich until departing in 2010, told City's website: "I am delighted to have joined City because I am still hungry for success and want to improve.

"I have been in Europe for 11 years now and this was a great chance for me to play in the Premier League with such a big club.

"When there is a change, there is always a process. There's always a period of adjustment you have to go through. Moving from South America to Europe is a big change and you need some time to settle in because everything is new.

"But in my case, I have lived in Europe for many years and I don't think there'll be any problems in adjusting to life here. Now I want to repay the manager's faith in me out on the pitch. I can't wait to get started."

Source: PA