Alaba: “Real Madrid were at the top of my list”

Real Madrid defender David Alaba made the decision to join the club as a free agent, leaving Bayern Munich after a successful decade with the German side. The versatile player explained his decision in an interview with German newspaper Bild.

“Not many clubs offered me a deal but Real Madrid were surely at the top of my own list. Like Bayern, they’re one of the world’s biggest clubs with such a special history and tradition,” said Alaba.

History and tradition are precisely one of the reasons why he wanted to join the club, he said later in the interview.

“There have been so many great players and great wins and titles in the history of Real Madrid that I wanted to join the club and continue that history of success with them and the fans,” he explained.

Having been with Bayern for the last decade will help Alaba facing the insane amount of pressure Real Madrid always deal with.

“It’s also a matter of winning every game and winning as many trophies as possible every year. I’ve embraced that winning mentality and hunger for trophies during these years at Bayern. You need that with Real Madrid and I want to bring that to the table, along with my experience and my skills on the pitch,” said Alaba.

A change of scenery and culture will also be important for him.

“This will be a new chapter in my life both for me and for my family. I want to develop as a person but also as a player, that’s why I come to Madrid,” concluded the defender.

Alaba will be unveiled as a Real Madrid player after the Euro. His versatility makes him a very intriguing signing and it will be interesting to see where he plays most of the minutes next season.