RB Leipzig’s new defender Josko Gvardiol introduces himself: “My favorite position is a striker”

In high spirits at his introduction: RB newcomer Josko Gvardiol

Copyright: imago images/Picture Point LE

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Josko Gvardiol considers the Bundesliga “the toughest league in the world”. This was the verdict of the 19-year-old Croatian during a round of introductions as a new RB Leipzig player during the Saxon training camp in Saalfelden, Austria. Access from the Croatian first division club Dinamo Zagreb also revealed that his favorite position was actually a “striker”. You have to know that Gvardiol is a defender.

“The level of the colleagues is outstanding”

The 1.85 meter tall left foot presented himself in a good mood on Wednesday lunchtime on the Bundesliga club’s hotel grounds, full of anticipation for his new colleagues and the first season in the Bundesliga. He’s been training since this week five-time national players after a three-week EM vacation with the team. He finds the level of his teammates “outstanding” and the units “intense”. He confessed that there was no time to “take his first steps in the Champions League participant’s team lightly”. The level of the league is too high for that, the quality of his colleagues too great and the style of play too challenging.

Leipzig’s classic approach of high counter-pressing, fast switching play and the sprinkling of ball possession phases “he likes”, continued Gvardiol, who was signed by Leipzig in summer 2020 for 19 million euros, but stayed with Dinamo for another year to “prepare for the Bundesliga” . At the same time, he admitted that this approach to the game challenges him. “Going through this style for 90 minutes is not easy,” he said. “It will take me a while to get used to it. But I’m trying to internalize it as quickly as possible. “

Along with Frenchman Mohamed Simakan (21), Gvardiol is one of two new players for Leipzig’s defense association to compensate for the departures of Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich) and Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool). At the European Championships, the young Croat was with everyone four games of the 2018 World Cup runner-up in the starting line-up and played left full-back. As he revealed, his preferred position is that of the left central defender.

Gvardiol adores Messi and Sergio Ramos

The fact that he prefers to play in attack was fun, with which Gvardiol not only declared his admiration for Lionel Messi, whom he named alongside the Spaniard Sergio Ramos as his great youth idol. As a junior player, he was actually at home on the offensive, but was ordered backwards by his coaches at the time.

In Zagreb, Gvardiol played with RB professional Dani Olmo for six months. The Spanish international, who is currently taking part in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, was one of the reasons why he decided to move to Leipzig, according to Gvardiol. “Dani helped me with my decision,” he said. The main reasons, however, were “that the club relies on young players” and “plays in the Champions League every year”. “That”, says the Croat, “is very important for my development.”

(RBlive/hen)

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