That is probably the biggest issue about the English game. You need to be a great player and great at striking the ball, of course, but it’s also about your head and being able to understand the game, especially for a midfielder. Xabi Alonso Read Quote
Bayern is a big club and a big brand, but on a daily basis, it’s a family club. You get to know the physios, the kit man, the chefs. It’s also a club that’s very close to the supporters. That proximity to the fans makes it special. That was surprising. In Liverpool and Madrid, there’s more distance. Xabi Alonso Read Quote
You need to have the same ideas to work as a team, to have a good team spirit. And you don’t get there in a day or even a month. It takes some time to get there. Xabi Alonso Read Quote
I grew up a lot as a professional and as a person in Liverpool, and I have very strong links to the club and the city. Xabi Alonso Read Quote
Managing Liverpool? Yes, for sure, I have dreamt of that, but first I have to prove myself and prepare. Xabi Alonso Read Quote
There have been many games where Xavi and I have played together, and I think we work well. Xabi Alonso Read Quote
If you win the midfield, you probably win the game. But that doesn’t mean the players in the midfield are the ones alone who determine that, because now we have strikers who drop into midfield and defenders who move up into the midfield. It is the area you must dominate. Xabi Alonso Read Quote
At Liverpool, I used to read the match day programme, and you’d read an interview with a lad from the youth team. They’d ask age, heroes, strong points, etc. He’d reply, ‘Shooting and tackling.’ I can’t get into my head that football development would educate tackling as a quality, something to learn, to teach, a characteristic of your play. Xabi Alonso Read Quote
If you have control of the midfield, you have control of the game, and you have more chances to win. Xabi Alonso Read Quote
