Real Madrid

The team’s won two consecutive league titles. Will there be more pressure this season?

I don’t think there will be pressure, but reaching the Champions League final isn’t easy. We have a good team capable of getting that far.

The first league match will pit you against Deportivo away from home. Real Madrid hasn’t won at Riazor Stadium in 17 years. Do you think you may be able to put an end to that negative streak?

We do because we want to win our fist game of the season.

Everyone’s talking about you now thanks to your great performances. Do you like to be acknowledged?

Of course, I feel proud because most of the world doesn’t know who you are when you play in Holland. I play for the greatest club in the world now and everyone has their eyes on us. We are on TV everywhere in the world. I used to think this would happen to me someday when I was little, so I am really enjoying it.

Kids and adults alike wear our shirt. How does that make you feel?

It’s a bit strange because I’ve only been here one season. I saw them wearing my shirt after my first two months on the team. It’s fantastic. I feel very proud. This is the life I’ve always dreamt about.

What Sneijder will we see this season?

I played very well during the first few weeks of the previous campaign and I tried to keep it up all year round. It was perfect at first, but then I changed positions and felt very well. I think I’m stronger when I play right behind the strikers. I feel more important when I play there.

You scored several goals...

I am very happy here and I want to win many titles. I especially want to play as well as I did in the first few weeks and the last months of the past season.

Is the goal this year to win the tenth European Cup for the Club?

Yes, I want to win the Champions League. I play for a strong team, the best in the world, and we have a chance to win it.

Van Nistelrooy, Robben, Drenthe, Sneijder... The Dutch players make this team strong. Does being together help you adapt to the team?

We are very happy about it because we can speak our language, but we also have to learn Spanish. We spend every day together and with the rest of the team. We are all very close.

This unity is the key to the team’s success...

We have the same team we had last year and we are very strong. We won the league with this squad, which is why I believe we can do so again this year. One of our goals is to perform even better than last season.