Munich's Next Big Thing

Sosa agreed to leave Estudiantes de la Plata for a four-year contract with Munich reported to be worth 10 million euros ($13.1 million) as of next season.

DW-WORLD.DE talked to the 21-year-old about what he can offer the Bavarian team.

DW-WORLD.DE: Bayern Munich has a royal history with a Kaiser in Franz Beckenbauer and a Prince in Lukas Podolski. Now you're already being called the "Little Prince." Where does the nickname come from?

When I was 15 years old and started training with Studiantes, my coach and some teammates at the time thought my style was very similar to Enzo Francescoli's. Back then he was the prince so I could only be a little prince. I think the nickname is funny and I have gotten used to it.

Are you familiar with your future club?

Who doesn't know Bayern Munich? It's one of the best clubs in the world. An excellent team and a great place to be. I watched the game against Real Madrid (the first of a pair that saw Munich advance to the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday) and was impressed. It isn't easy to get such a good result in Madrid. Bayern showed how good they really are.

The team has suffered from missing German captain Michael Ballack for the whole season. What do you think of the idea that you will replace him?

Ballack is an exceptional player. That the team misses him is a sign of that. But I'm not a fan of comparisons. I'm a completely different guy -- Ernesto Sosa, you know. I am going to offer my performance, my playing style, my drive and my discipline to the club.

How would you describe yourself?

I'm a relaxed kind of guy who always wants to improve. I put a lot of importance on working hard. I favor the collective -- in soccer it's not about individuals but about what they can do for the team.

It's not always easy for Latin Americans to fit into German soccer.

Well, I don't know any people in Germany and don't speak the language so that's a logical consequence, but it won't always be that way for me. I've heard that Munich is a great city, so that's good to know.

Have you had any contact with Martin Demichelis, your countryman at Bayern Munich?

I don't know him personally, unfortunately. But we do have a common friend and I've heard through him that I can count on Martin's support. It's a nice offer and I'm glad to have it. I'll be approaching him sometime.

What is your favorite way to spend your free time?

What I enjoy most is spending time with friends and my family. I'm from the country and don't get to see people close to me very often. So that makes every moment worth its weight in gold. I also like to listen to music from where I come from, a "Cumbia santafecina" is always like an invitation to start dancing. Sadly, as a soccer player I don't get as many chances to accept the invitation as I'd like.