Hamburg and Netherlands star Rafael van der Vaart has confirmed that he will join Real Betis this summer, admitting he was sold “a wonderful project”.
The former Real Madrid midfielder was believed to be closing in on a Bosman free transfer to the La Liga new boys last week, and he has now corroborated these claims, revealing that his conversation with sporting director Eduardo Macia made him realise the sheer ambition of the club.
“[Betis sporting director] Eduardo Macia told me Betis want to be the fourth best team in Spain; that in a short space of time the club will return to the upper echelons of La Liga. It’s a wonderful project,” he told De Telegraaf.
“My roots are also here, so I want to make my contribution [to Betis for that reason too].”
Van der Vaart, 32, has also reportedly taken a pay cut to complete his move to Andalucia, despite receiving a better offer from his first team Ajax.
