Adrián López is a professional football player. A career path and profession that has given him the opportunity to live in several foreign countries. For the past six months, his country code has been +45 and his postal code 8000. The Aarhus-based Danish magazine, Aarhus Panorama, met with the 28-year-old footballer for a talk about life in The City of Smiles, which is the nickname of Aarhus, the second-largest city of Denmark.

Please note! This a tranlated text of the original article in Danish “Fodboldspiller og fremmed i Aarhus” by Alexandra Bendixen brought by Panorama Aarhus on 19. November 2015. Don’t miss out on the awesome pictures of Adrián López by Troels Haahr in the original article.

During the summer transfer window, AGF signed with Adrián López, also known as Piscu, who grew up in La Coruña in Northern Spain. As his dad was a semi-professional football player, the Spaniard has been kicking a football since he was able to walk. However, not until the age of nine did he join his first football club on a membership basis. Just five years later, at the age of 14, he signed his first contract, which technically made him a professional football player. Since then, he has played for the Spanish side Deportivo La Coruña, the English side Wigan and the Canadian side Montreal. This summer, his path lead to Aarhus, Denmark.

First time in Aarhus
”I visited Denmark for the first time eight-nine years ago, as we had a match in Copenhagen. I had never been to Aarhus, until I moved here. In fact, I had barely heard of the city – just that it was a student city. But I was surprised in a good way when I arrived here,” Adrián López says.

It has been nearly six months, since the Spanish footballer and his girlfriend and loyal companion swapped their common life in Canada with a new life in Aarhus. They spent the first couple of weeks in Hotel Comwell. It was not exactly a dream situation for the Spanish couple, but they decided to make the best of it and were happy to live in the city center – frequently visiting the popular café street Åboulevarden.

”It surprised me a little how difficult it was to find an apartment here,” says Adrián López. He had to admit that it was impossible to find an apartment in Aarhus by himself and prior to his arrival. Fortunately, the football club came to his rescue.

Hence, Adrian and his girlfriend moved out of the hotel and into an apartment at Langenæs. That made the Spaniard happy. He could hardly find an apartment with a better location – it is close to the city center, the AGF stadium called Ceres Park and the training grounds at Fredensvang.

The man behind the football player
”Everywhere I’ve been since I moved here, my reception has been overwhelming,” Adrián López explains. Not least in the football club where the Spanish player, for the first time during his semi-long football career, feels like people take a real interest in the person hiding behind the professional football player. He elaborates:

”People care about you on a personal level. In other countries, you’re given the label of football player. Here, people also consider the fact that there is a real person behind the football player. And that you have a life away from the pitch. It’s a different mentality.”

This kind of openness is something Adrián López also sees when walking the streets of Aarhus where he is often met with kindness and politeness. In order to give something in return, and become more integrated into Danish culture, Adrián López is busy learning Danish. Not that language is actually a problem for him while living in Aarhus.

”I never experienced any problems by approaching people in English. People here seem to speak perfect English,” says Adrián López and emphasizes his enthusiasm for Danish culture:

”As opposed to many of the other cultures I’ve been a part of, I find the Danish people to be very much down to earth. No one here talks about how much money they make. The goal is not to have a big house and a fancy car. And to me, that’s how it should be,” the Spaniard says and continues: ”I really like the Danish mentality. You help each other and get the support that you need.”

In love with Latinerkvarteret
Off the football pitch, Adrián López likes to explore Aarhus to see what the city has to offer. Six months into his stay, he still feels like he has many areas to explore. However, Adrián López and his girlfriend keep coming back to one particular area of the city:

”We fell in love with Latinerkvarteret the very first time we were there. It’s a very lively district with many cafés and restaurants. You can also sense that it’s an area with a history that goes way back,” he says. His girlfriend also settled down in the city already. She spends her time teaching Spanish.

Room for everyone in AGF

During the summer transfer window, AGF signed no less than seven foreign players. This means that nine out of the 23 players in the squad are non-Danish. However, according to Adrián López, this is not an issue in the daily life at the club.

”We’re many foreign players, but it doesn’t make any difference. You get the same treatment, whether you’re Croatian, Spanish or Danish,” he says and furthermore explains that it is his experience that foreigners tend to get together in groups of people belonging to the same nationality. However, Adrián López also managed to make several Danish friends here. Even friends that have nothing to do with football.

”It’s great, because it helps me get the Danish culture even more underneath my skin. But you have to work for it too. Meeting other people. You need to give something of yourself,” says the Spaniard.

Feels at home
Fortunately, the contrast between living in big cities like Montreal and Manchester to living in Aarhus, which is a rather small city, has not caused any difficulties for Adrián López. On the contrary.

”The city has a good size. You have everything you need here. And it’s easy to get around and navigate your way round here,” he says while stressing that he likes how everything is rather close. And how simply jumping on your bike will get your from a to b.

”In Denmark, you can feel at home quickly and easily. Even as a foreigner. That goes for Aarhus as well as the club,” Adrián López says and finishes off by saying:

”Without any hesitation, I will say that out of all the foreign countries that I’ve lived in, Denmark is the best place. It’s nice and safe here.”

Don’t miss out on the awesome pictures of Adrián López by Troels Haahr in the original article.