Earlier today, Bayern Munich formally unveiled new defender Hiroki Ito.
Ito, a versatile left-back / center-back who Bayern Munich inked away from VfB Stuttgart, was introduced to the media. The Japanese player talked through his first days with the club, his teammates, and what he will bring to the table in Bavaria.
“From day one, all my teammates welcomed me warmly. Yesterday we did a first test. We got on well. Bayern always has a lot of possession. We have a lot of good players. We want to have control of the ball. I can play in many positions. We can complement each other very well here,” Ito said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “Thomas Müller followed me on Instagram, but we haven’t spoken in person yet. I have a very good impression of him. And Serge Gnabry, for example, recommended good Japanese restaurants in Munich.
“I spent three years at Stuttgart and have now made it to Bayern. The club has given me a big chance. Now I’m at Bayern and am focusing on that. I’m not a typical Japanese person but will try to do my bit with lots of hard work. That’s typical Japanese mentality.”
Ito is also looking forward to working with new Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany.
“We briefly communicated and he told me about how we want to dominate the ball and what role I have in that and what contribution I can make to ensure our success. We talked about that briefly,” said Ito.