Jantunen: “I can help Real Madrid win”

Mikael Jantunen is now officially a Real Madrid player. The power forward gave his first interview to Realmadrid TV: “As a player, I always want to be in a place that makes me better and allows me to win. As a player, you want to win. The history of this club speaks for itself. I have already spoken with the coach, and I think I can fit in here and help the team win. Those are the best reasons why I chose to come to Real Madrid.”

“I have already taken big steps, like playing and succeeding in the EuroLeague, but surely this is the most important step so far in my career. I was very happy when they called me; it’s an unreal feeling. Real Madrid is one of the biggest clubs in the world. I’m very happy to be here, excited to start working here, and to play in front of the fans.”

Feelings
“As a Finn, I’m very proud of my journey and of getting here. It’s a great start. I hope I’m not the last and that it opens the door for more Finnish players to come. I’m proud of myself and happy to be here.”

His style of play
“I try to describe myself as a winning player. I can go for a loose ball, go for a rebound, or some days score. Finding a way to help the team win is how I understand games, and it’s what I try to do at the highest level.”

Pedro Martínez’s playing style
“I’m very happy. I’ve followed the way his teams play, which is why I think I’m going to fit in well. I’m going to enjoy playing for him a lot. I’ve played that style of basketball in my career, and it’s great. With the Finnish national team, we do something similar. That helps when choosing a playing style that suits me. It makes conversations with the coach easy because it’s a style of basketball that works well for me.”

Goal
“Winning is what I want, both personally and as a team. That’s the goal: to win everything we can.”

Message to the fans
“I’m very happy to be here. I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the games, and I’m eager to represent this club.”