Youri Regeer is brutally honest about Ajax

Youri Regeer no longer felt he was in the right place at Ajax. The holding midfielder said so shortly after arriving at Werder Bremen, where the Dutchman was unveiled this week.

"I was not happy at Ajax," Regeer says bluntly during a Werder Bremen media session. "For a year and a half, there were reports that they were looking for a new number 6, that Ajax were not happy. That is why it was not a difficult decision for me to leave for Werder."

Werder Bremen had tracked the 23-year-old Regeer for some time, but only made their move at the end of August. That came after an injury to Jens Stage.

"I had not heard from them for a few weeks, but on Sunday morning I got a call saying Bremen wanted me. Then it all happened very quickly. The way the club's leadership see me sounded good," Regeer recalls of the talks with the German club.

Now he cannot wait to get started in Bremen. "The Bundesliga is one of the best leagues in the world. And when you then look at Werder's history, it was not a difficult decision for me," Regeer says, delighted with his move to the 2004 champions.

Former Werder Bremen midfielder Davy Klaassen, who played for the club between 2018 and 2020, has already wished Regeer all the best in northern Germany. "He said Werder Bremen were a great club. And that I could get in touch if I needed anything."

For his time at Werder Bremen, Regeer has chosen the number 44 shirt. "There were a few numbers available, but not immediately one that suited me. Then I thought about which number I wanted, and decided to take the number I had when I made my debut in professional football."