Former Borussia Dortmund captain and three-time Bundesliga Player of the Season Marco Reus has made a significant move to Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, as announced by the American club on Thursday.
Reus expressed his enthusiasm about the transfer in an interview with ESPN. \"I feel very, very good, healthy … but I don't want to continue in Europe because of my past in Dortmund,\" he said. \"America, and especially the Galaxy, was my first choice.\"
At 35 years old, Reus is eager to prove himself in a new league. \"First of all, I want to prove myself, still. I'm 35 years old, but I think I have a lot of energy in my tank,\" he added. \"And of course, we want to bring the championship home … I'm here to bring the championship home and together, of course, together with my teammates.\"
Reus concluded his career at Dortmund after the 2023-24 season, having scored 170 goals and provided 131 assists in 429 appearances for the club. His tenure helped Dortmund secure two DFB-Pokal titles and two DFL-Supercups, and reach the UEFA Champions League final twice.
Germany also benefited from Reus's skills, as he netted 15 goals in 48 international appearances.
Will Kuntz, Galaxy general manager, expressed optimism about Reus's arrival. \"My conversation with Marco was like, look, essentially you can come here and wake a sleeping giant in a new MLS,\" Kuntz told ESPN. \"We've kind of entered a new age since the Galaxy were last champions, but I do believe that this is the biggest club and to win here means more.\"
After a challenging 2023 season where the Galaxy finished 13th in the Western Conference, the team has shown a strong resurgence in the ongoing 2024 campaign, leading the West with 14 wins, seven draws, and five losses in 26 games.
Kuntz highlighted the unique challenges Reus will face in MLS, including extensive travel, varying climates, artificial playing surfaces, and the playoff system. \"It's a different type of challenge, right? You know, traveling a continent that masquerades as a country, playing in the heat, playing on artificial surfaces, playing in the playoffs, and all these unique challenges that he's kind of never encountered before … overcome some new obstacles and test yourself in different ways,\" he explained.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
