Ibrahim Afellay has said there was “no point staying stagnant” at Barcelona in his official unveiling as a Schalke player.
The 26-year-old midfielder has joined the Gelsenkirchen based club on a one year loan deal, joining up with Coach Huub Stevens and striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, both fellow Dutchmen.
“I had not played much at Barcelona, and this season I would have had to wait to play,” Afellay stated. “It was agreed with the Coach that a transfer would be the best option.”
Blaugrana boss Tito Vilanova recently told Afellay and other fringe players that they were welcome to stay at Camp Nou but opportunities would be limited.
The former PSV man revealed that a willingness to get back into action after the knee injury he suffered last season played a big part in the deal.
“There was no point staying stagnant. When you recover from an injury you must play again as soon as possible, and that's what I'll do now at Schalke. I have good feelings.”
