“I want to enjoy football again, compete, and achieve my goals.”

André Almeida was officially presented in the Campos de Sport as the new Racing player after making his debut as a verdiblanco last Saturday at Butarque. The Portuguese player was introduced by Chema Aragón as “a player with a very high technical ability”.

The player and the sporting director agreed on where to place his ideal position on the pitch. Aragón acknowledged that “he can play higher up, but we see him playing close to the build-up. He needs to see the game head-on and enjoy the ball” and Almeida said that “people think I’m an attacking player, but no, I’m a midfielder. I like playing football”.

Strong and compact group

The Portuguese player admitted that “I needed a change for my head, to play more, to feel important, and I really like this opportunity. I’m very happy, motivated and excited to be here”. And he didn’t hesitate to say that “the Racing style of play is very good for me—quality and short spaces. We all have that quality in midfield, and I want to enjoy football again, compete and achieve our goals.”

Chema Aragón closed the press conference by talking about the latest league match for the verdiblanco side and the team’s expectations for this season: “On the first day I said that we had to be a strong and compact group, a family, and for everyone the key is knowing how to compete in the good times and, above all, in the bad. We’re coming off several years of winning a lot, and now we have to be competitive to handle all the situations. I’m not worried.”

UEFA Under-21

Domingos André Ribeiro Almeida was born in Guimarães (Portugal) on 30 May 2000 and completed his training as a player in the youth categories of Vitória de Guimarães. After making his debut with the first team in the Taça da Liga (League Cup) in Portugal, on 18 August 2019 he made his debut in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. Three seasons later, and after playing 90 matches for the club in his hometown, he signed for Valencia CF.

Valencia have been his home for the last four seasons, in which he has played in 119 appearances, 108 of them in LaLiga EA Sports, and he has recorded four goals and 13 assists. In addition, Almeida has been an international at youth level for the Portugal national team, where he has progressed from the Under-15s to the Under-21s, playing 15 matches and scoring three goals.