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Fenerbahce's new signing Nathan Ake said qualifying for the UEFA Champions League would be the club's first major objective as he opened up about his rapid move from Manchester City and the role Ederson played in convincing him to join.
The Dutch center-back linked up with the Turkish club at its preseason camp in Windischgarsten, Austria, and told FBTV that he had already settled in well after receiving a warm welcome from his teammates and coaching staff.
"I hope we have a good season together, and I cannot wait for it," Ake said.
Ake said Fenerbahce had shown interest before the transfer process quickly gathered pace, adding that the offer immediately caught his attention.
Before making his decision, he reached out to Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson, who spoke positively about the Istanbul club, its supporters and the atmosphere at its stadium.
"Ederson told me this is a great club. He also said there is a very good atmosphere in our stadium and that our fans are amazing. Hearing that made me excited," Ake said.
Following those talks, Fenerbahce and Manchester City wrapped up the transfer negotiations without delay, deciding to move to Türkiye, an easy one for the 31-year-old defender.
After his final match of the previous season, Ake was given eight days off and used the break to recover both physically and mentally following a demanding campaign.
He said he did not expect his preparation period to take long and believed that a few training sessions would be enough for him to get back into full condition.
Ake also held an initial meeting with the head coach, who asked about his current fitness and set out his plans for the coming season. The defender said they would go over those plans in greater detail as the camp moved forward.
Ake said his teammates had already started preparing him for the experience of playing in front of Fenerbahce's home supporters.
The Dutch international had also watched clips of the fans on social media and said the large number of welcome messages he received after the transfer had helped him feel at home.
"All my teammates are talking about how full our stadium is and how passionate our fans are. They are already preparing me for our first match at home," he said.
Looking ahead, Ake described the new season as a major challenge and said the team would first focus on coming through the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds.
He noted that Fenerbahce had gone a long time without winning the domestic league title and had also been away from the Champions League for several seasons.
"Our first aim is to qualify for the Champions League, and we will do everything we can for that," Ake said.
He added that Fenerbahce would then compete across four competitions and would fight to win in every tournament it entered.
However, the team would take its campaign match by match, beginning with the European qualifying fixtures before turning its attention to making a strong start in the domestic league.
Ake closed by thanking the supporters for their backing and called on them to continue standing behind the team throughout the season.
"We will always give our best. I hope we have a beautiful season together, and we will fight for it," he said.
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