Former Dortmund Captain Marco Reus Joins LA Galaxy in MLS Move
Former Borussia Dortmund captain and three-time Bundesliga Player of the Season, Marco Reus, has signed with Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer (MLS), the American club announced on Thursday.
“I feel very, very good, healthy… but I don’t want to continue in Europe because of my past in Dortmund,” Reus told ESPN. “America, and especially the Galaxy, was my first choice.”
The 35-year-old midfielder expressed his eagerness to prove himself in a new environment. “First of all, I want to prove myself, still. I’m 35 years old, but I think I have a lot of energy in my tank,” he added. “And of course, we want to bring the championship home… I’m here to bring the championship home together with my teammates.”
Reus concluded his illustrious Dortmund career after the 2023-24 season, a tenure that began in 2012. He scored 170 goals and provided 131 assists in 429 appearances for the club, contributing to two DFB-Pokal titles and two DFL-Supercups. Dortmund reached the UEFA Champions League final twice during his time, facing defeat against Bayern Munich in 2013 and Real Madrid in 2024.
On the international stage, Reus netted 15 goals in 48 appearances for Germany.
Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz highlighted the significance of Reus’s arrival. “My conversation with Marco was like, look, essentially you can come here and wake a sleeping giant in a new MLS,” Kuntz told ESPN. “We’ve kind of entered a new age since the Galaxy were last champions, but I do believe that this is the biggest club and to win here means more.”
The Galaxy missed the playoffs in the 2023 season after finishing 13th in the Western Conference with only eight wins. However, they have bounced back impressively in the ongoing 2024 campaign, topping the West with 14 wins, seven draws, and five losses after 26 games.
“It’s a different type of challenge, right?” Kuntz said. “You know, traveling a continent that masquerades as a country, playing in the heat, playing on artificial surfaces, playing in the playoffs, and all these unique challenges that he’s kind of never encountered before… overcome some new obstacles and test yourself in different ways.”
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
