Rafael Van der Vaart was presented yesterday as a new Real Betis player and his presentation was attended by over 3.000 supporters along with a massive media presence. Sporting Director, Eduardo Macià, introduced the Dutch player stating: "I thank Rafael, a club man. He gave us his word and he has kept it. It has been a difficult few weeks for him; he had offers from other clubs but opted for our new project. He has a strong personality and is used to coping with pressure. Coming to Betis may be seen as a professional risk for his career but he is here play football. I know he’ll give his all for Betis".
"Thanks for your kind words. This is an amazing club and it feels like a family. I am very happy and delighted to be a part of the best league in the world", replied Van der Vaart, who was later questioned about his last season at Hamburg, where he won the award for 'most disappointing player of the season': "I’ve had two poor seasons with Hamburg but still have a great deal to offer as a player. I like to hold the ball and am still a good player. That accolade from Kicker? It doesn't bother me, I know I had a poor season".
The Dutch player then joked about objectives for the season ahead: "I’ve been talking with the coach and we plan to win the league. The most important thing is that we play our style of football. I saw that when the club were relegated, they still managed to sell 40.000 season tickets and that speaks volumes about this football club”, he concluded.