David Alaba chose the right time to leave Bayern for Real Madrid
With his contract ending last season and after spending twelve years at Bayern Munich, David Alaba decided that it was time for a new challenge. The German club tried to keep him as they knew for a fact that losing him would hurt them but in the end, the Austrian had different plans. He was preparing to join another European giant in Real Madrid. However, even though he arrived with more than enough experience and has proven himself in the biggest of stages, he had no idea what was awaiting him.
David Alaba arrived at Real Madrid last summer and quickly realized that he was brought in to not only be a starter, but to replace the legendary Sergio Ramos. Real Madrid are slowly but surely going through a revamp and one of the biggest points last summer was the loss of both their centre-backs. Sergio Ramos, who found himself at Paris Saint-Germain after his contract with Los Blancos ended and Raphael Varane, who moved to Manchester United were both integral parts of the lineup. After all, they were the centre-back pairing during Real Madrid’s famous three-peat. Replacing even one of them was a massive task but replacing both in the same window seemed impossible.
Alaba took his job with open arms. He inherited Ramos’ number four jersey and began developing a partnership in the center of defense with 24-year-old Eder Militao. Less than a full season in, it looks impossible to have a game without Alaba there. Not only that, but he has captured the hearts of Real Madrid fans worldwide.
It’s worth noting that when Alaba’s move was official, many Real Madrid fans fought against it. His wages and the fact that he seemingly wasn’t as decisive as Sergio Ramos made many fans question what Florentino Perez was thinking. They were all proven wrong. Alaba integrated with the team from the start and Ancelotti’s return to the club played a big part in that.
The Italian was already familiar with Alaba from the time they shared in Germany. He knew Alaba’s strengths and even though the Austrian was a left-back for the first few games due to injuries to Ferland Mendy, he was moved to centre-back pretty soon after that. The manager admitted that he prefers Alaba as a centre-back and for good reason. Alaba was integral to the team building from the back.
It’s difficult to have the Real Madrid fans singing your praises but Alaba was able to get it done fairly quickly through some decisive performances for the club. He was also able to raise himself to an iconic level during the comeback against Paris-Saint Germain by, well, raising a chair in celebration.
That moment will be cemented in the club’s history regardless of what happens from this moment on. Not because he carried a chair in celebration, but because of what it signified. In that brief move, Alaba captured the hearts of the fans and showed that he feels the same way they do. The Austrian had become a Madridista and it was clear for all to see.
Alaba arrived at Real Madrid at the perfect time. As Bayern Munich struggle in Europe and face issues of their own with players and management, Alaba is part of what could possibly be one of the biggest seasons in Real Madrid history. He is on the way to becoming a La Liga champion and finds himself in the Champions League semifinals against all odds. If Los Merengues are able to get the European crown this season, they will do so by beating PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool/Villarreal.
They have already had two epic and unexplainable comebacks against PSG and Chelsea. No one knows what the rest of this season holds. When it comes to Alaba though, it doesn’t matter. He already has seen it all at the club in less than a year. It will only make him look forward to next season even more.
In Real Madrid’s La Liga game against Sevilla earlier this week, a small glimpse of Alaba has made people further realize his understanding of what this club stands for. After Nacho Fernandez scored the equalizer and celebrated, Alaba was seen running over to him and telling him to get back into position. The game wasn’t over. Real Madrid was not winning. There was no reason to celebrate yet. In the end, there was celebration as Real Madrid won 3-2.
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Real Madrid brought in Alaba because they needed someone with experience at center-back. Alaba chose Real Madrid because he knew he had more to offer and wasn’t ready to give up being on the big stage just yet. However, no one knew just how much this connection was needed.
David Alaba won it all at Bayern Munich but he hasn’t experienced anything close to making history with Real Madrid. After all, this is the biggest club in European history and to be part of it is something that any player dreams of.