Riad's thoughts on life in South London & hopes for USA tour
Chadi Riad has enjoyed a warm welcome to South London from teammates and supporters alike, according to the man himself.
Chadi Riad has enjoyed a warm welcome to South London from teammates and supporters alike, according to the man himself.
The former Barcelona defender – who joined the club last month following an impressive season on loan at Real Betis – celebrated his landmark 21st birthday last week.
Riad subsequently started, and impressed, in Palace’s 1-1 pre-season draw against Charlton Athletic in South London. He could do so again when the Eagles face Crawley at Broadfield Stadium on Saturday afternoon (12:30 BST) – LIVE on Palace TV+.
Oliver Glasner’s Eagles will then head to the United States for matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers in Maryland and West Ham United in Tampa, with the new Premier League season now just three weeks away.
“I am delighted to be here,” Riad told TampaHoy.com. “My dream as a child has always been to play in the Premier League, which I think is currently one of the best leagues in the world, so when the offer came to me I didn't think twice.
“The biggest difference for me is the climate! But other than that, I feel very comfortable. My teammates have welcomed me very well from the beginning and helped me with everything I needed. The people here are very nice.
“The truth is that it is a pleasure to be here, and I feel very comfortable.”
It is early days for Riad in a Palace shirt, but the defender believes he has already benefitted from working with manager Glasner, saying: “From day one, with a coach of his quality, you learn things.
“He is always on it. He is a very demanding coach who helps you a lot and makes you learn from everything that happens in training, in games, and I am very happy to be under his leadership.”
Riad is eagerly anticipating the challenge awaiting him in the Premier League, where he expects to come up against some of the greatest forwards in the world.
“In the Premier League there are many quality strikers,” he noted. “I think that, because it is a very strong league, the best in the world, all the teams have great quality strikers.
“But I, and everyone else who comes here to play in the Premier League, want to play against [Erling] Haaland, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus… all the types of strikers that you see so much about on TV. I want to play against them and give them a good game.”
Next week’s trip to the USA will not be the first for Riad, who recalled: “ I was with Betis last pre-season. I was in San Francisco and I thought it was a pretty cool country that has a lot to visit. I really liked being there.
“A country like the United States, a place like Tampa… I am excited, I want to get to know it. I have not had the pleasure of being there yet, but I want to see everything it has, its people, its values, its cultures.
“As for the heat, for me that does not matter because I come from places like Morocco and Spain where the temperatures are high, so I have no problem with it!”
As for facing Wolves and West Ham, Riad’s message to Palace’s American fanbase was clear: “When you hear the name of these three great teams, the last thing you want is to miss this kind of game.
“I encourage you to come see a good show, good football, and we will give one hundred percent of ourselves and try to win!”
Click here to find out more about Palace's upcoming tour to Maryland and Tampa.
