For French midfielder Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi, his move to the San Jose Earthquakes does not just signify the next phase of his career, but also the realization a lifelong dream.
Pierazzi, 28, spoke with France Football on Monday to discuss several topics surrounding his transfer from French side AC Ajaccio to the Earthquakes, and the veteran defensive midfielder made it clear he is more than delighted to move across the Atlantic.
"It is a dream come true!" he said. "Since I was little, I have dreamed of the United States. It is really the country that fascinated me. So, as a fan, I logically became interested in the MLS, and it is simply a dream come true to sign there."
Pierazzi is such an Americanophile, in fact, that he began learning English months prior to any conversations with the Earthquakes simply because he was tired of struggling with the language every time he visited the US.
He has never visited San Jose, where he is set to arrive this week, but he has been to Los Angeles and San Francisco. And he is familiar with the weather, which is on par with the island of Corsica, where Ajaccio play.
"This is not the worst place in the United States, that's clear," he said. "Moreover, it almost never rains there. This is the best."
San Jose will be a whole new experience for Pierazzi. He has spent his entire career with Ajaccio, which is located on the island of Corsica and plays in Ligue 1, and he leaves them in the middle of a relegation battle.
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But, although he would've liked to stay and help his boyhood club, he couldn't turn down the opportunity to make his dream move.
"Everything happens very quickly in [MLS]," Pierazzi said. "When Americans want something, they know what it takes to get it. Since the arrival of Beckham and Henry, it is insane. The stadiums are new, they are always full, and the level of play has improved."
