Majer presented at AEK
The Croatian midfielder signed for the Athens club after Wolfsburg's relegation from the Bundesliga, and the transfer will earn four Croatian clubs a share of the fee.
The Croatian midfielder signed for the Athens club after Wolfsburg's relegation from the Bundesliga, and the transfer will earn four Croatian clubs a share of the fee.
Lovre Majer is officially a new player for AEK Athens. The Croatian midfielder left Wolfsburg after the club's relegation from the Bundesliga, and a poor season in Germany also cost him his place in the national team ahead of the World Cup. The Greek club presented him with a special video in which club owner Marios Iliopoulos welcomed him, and Majer did not hide his satisfaction that the transfer was completed in record time.
AEK paid Wolfsburg a fee of six million euros for Majer, and the amount could rise to 6.5 million euros with bonuses, which would be a new club record. The player himself says everything happened at lightning speed.
"I'm really happy to be here; this is an incredible club. Everything happened very quickly, in three or four days. I'm very satisfied with the decision. Greece is a beautiful country, as is Athens," Majer said during his unveiling.
The Croatian international immediately revealed one of the main reasons for coming to Athens. "One of the reasons for coming is the desire to repeat last season's success, and I'll give my all to play in the Champions League. That's why I'm extremely motivated," Majer said.
His words were echoed by AEK owner Marios Iliopoulos, who was impressed by what he saw in the new player's eyes.
"I see it in your eyes. When I was young, we had a saying that someone had 'tiger eyes.' And I see that in your eyes. You're a very intelligent person," Iliopoulos said in the video released by the club.
The Greek club's owner did not spare praise for the former Dinamo player. "You're an important player for us. You come as a replacement for a very important player who gave his heart and soul to this team. That's why we count on you a lot. Not just because we want to have high expectations, but because we see you're a talented player. We believe you can give a lot to this team and that we'll soon move toward the success we all believe in," Iliopoulos said.
At the end of the presentation, jerseys were exchanged. Majer gave the AEK owner a Croatian national team jersey with the number seven, which he wore at the European Championship against Spain, and Iliopoulos reciprocated with a Greek club jersey with the number 14, which Majer will wear in the new season.
Croatian clubs will also profit from Majer's transfer through FIFA's solidarity fund. According to 24sata, Dinamo will receive 105,000 euros, Lokomotiva as much as 150,000 euros, while Zagreb's lower-league clubs Trnje and Dubrava will earn 15,000 and 30,000 euros, respectively.
