Bojan Krkic admits it was a tough decision to leave Stoke City.

The striker is currently on-loan at Mainz to the end of this season.

"I told myself: The fans love me, I get along very well with the team mates. But if I want to go further, I have to do something different," he told Kicker.

Bojan insists the move isn't a step down.

"Mainz has qualified for the Europa League and has been consistently in the Bundesliga for years. This can not be forgotten and made smaller than it is."