Xabi Alonso exclusive
Suave off the pitch, sophisticated on it, successful everywhere he went: it’s no wonder the tributes poured in when Xabi Alonso hung up his boots. But don’t worry – as the midfield maestro himself tells FFT, he’ll be back
The legend talks us through his career and plans for retirement
So this is it. After 18 years, more than 800 matches, 13 major trophies and a billion effortlessly tidy passes, it’s time for Xabi Alonso to hit the road. “It was a decision I thought long and hard about for a while,” Alonso tells FFT from the Bayern Munich training ground he’s called home for the past three years. “I’d reached the point where it felt right. “You never know how you will feel after that last game, as football becomes your life. But I just feel happy with everything I’ve experienced, with all of the clubs I’ve played for, with every game I’ve played. Of course, there is a part of me that feels sad it’s all over, but everything must end one day and I’d rather finish at the top.” He has certainly done that. In the days before FFT’S visit, Die Roten clinched their fourth Bundesliga title in as many years. The Spaniard was a key figure in the most recent three wins, which came hot on the heels of helping Real Madrid finally win ‘La Decima’ and, prior to that, scoring the crucial third goal in Liverpool’s famous comeback in Istanbul. And then there’s an international career that brought him one World Cup and two European Championship medals.
Perhaps his biggest achievement, however, is less tangible – near universal respect and popularity. His easy-on-the-eye playing style, combined with a humble, gentlemanly disposition have helped to make the 35-year-old a contemporary cult hero.
He’s hung up his boots for the final time alongside another icon and World Cup winner: Bayern team-mate Philipp Lahm. “It is an honour to finish by his side,” the Spaniard proudly says. “It was just meant to be – it’s like we’re the last rock stars.”
Now, if only there was something really cool he could do next…
What will you do on the first morning following your retirement? What a question! [Laughs] I don’t know if this is for the first morning, but I can’t wait to take my motorbike out for a spin – it’s written into most players’ contracts that you can’t ride them. I’ve got a motorbike but I’ve never been able to ride it! To be honest, I’m looking at doing things that become impossible in a footballer’s life. I’ve gone 18 years without having a proper weekend with my family where you try new things. Being a footballer is great, but you’re tied down to what you can and can’t do. We’ll go and relax in San Sebastian and Madrid.
You spent a few summers in Ireland in your teens, learning English and playing a bit of gaelic football. Any desire to go back one day? [Laughs] Wow, it’s such a long time since I was there – I’ve probably forgotten how to play. I’ll definitely go back to Ireland, though. I love the country and all of the Irish people. Do I follow a team? No, I just played to enjoy myself with friends. But I will go back there one day.
When you used to play on the beach in San Sebastian with Mikel Arteta, did you ever think you would achieve so much? No chance. We loved football, but we played every sport when we were kids. We’re still great friends. I’d never dreamed of becoming a footballer – that was something I saw as being so impossible that it wasn’t even a dream – so I consider myself very lucky.
Your father Periko played for Barcelona, won two La Liga titles with Real Sociedad and represented Spain at the 1982 World Cup, and your brother Mikel was also a pro with Sociedad. How much football is there within the Alonso household? [Laughs] A lot! More than anything, since we were tiny, me and my brother had the figure of our father in our life. We played with him every week and went to as many of his training sessions as we could, just like my son Jontxu does with me now. It was a fundamental part of life. You came through the youth ranks at Sociedad and then spent a season on loan with Eibar when you turned 18. Is it true that you first learned about the deal by reading it in a newspaper? Yes, that’s absolutely true. I was only 18; I had made my first-team debut in the Copa del Rey, but I was still part of the reserves. I didn’t really know or understand the football world at that stage because I was so young, so my dad was sorting things out for me. He spoke with the club, thought it was a good option and went ahead. I read about it in the paper and rang my dad straight away. He asked me, ‘What do you think?’ I replied, ‘I think it’s a great idea!’ Up until then, I had always shared a dressing room with people my age, but at Eibar there were 35-year-olds. It was a dressing room full of men, not boys. That helped me to learn a lot about what it meant to be a footballer.
You were recalled after only half a season by Sociedad’s new manager, John Toshack, who had replaced Javier Clemente. What impact did the former Liverpool striker have on your career? He was fundamental. I was only 19 at the time, but he treated me as if I was a 28-year-old. When he came in, he took me to one side straight away and said: “Listen, I think you can become a very important player for this team, so I’m going to give you the responsibility to play your own game.” I took the opportunity and played well. I’ll never forget all of the early help that he gave me.
Did you feel any pressure in going back to play for Sociedad, who were really struggling at the time and trying to avoid the drop? The team was certainly in a difficult moment, but I just tried to play my very best and help the team to get out of trouble. Thankfully, everything went well and we eventually finished 13th [in 2001-02].
Was it hard to leave for Liverpool in the summer of 2004, aged 22? It was at the time, because Sociedad had been my home, but it was also the time to progress and try some new things. I’ve loved every stage of my career and it just felt the right time to take on a fresh challenge, in a new country and to fight for an historic football club.
Let’s talk about Istanbul and the 2005 Champions League Final... [Smiles] Everything happened. At half-time it was the worst scenario. We had to score three goals against Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Jaap Stam and Cafu! Some of the guys said, “We need to fight.” Others were saying, ‘How can we be so bad today?’ The rest is history, as we made the most incredible comeback. Miracles can happen in football.
What were you thinking before taking the penalty to make it 3-3? I didn’t know what to think. It was my first penalty as a professional! Seriously, I had never taken one before. I look at pictures of me about to take the penalty and all I can see is my face wracked with tension and responsibility. It’s so obvious! Were it not for that rebound, then my story at Liverpool might have been very different! [Laughs] It was pretty stressful. Rafa [Benitez] told me before the final that if we won a penalty, I’d take it, as Steven Gerrard had missed one against Spurs. What did I say? Nothing. I had to take it! There wasn’t any other way.
How did you celebrate afterwards? In every possible way you can imagine! [Laughs] There was a sense of euphoria, both at the hotel in Istanbul after the match and in Liverpool. It was crazy – the celebrations and the way we won it. Twelve years have now passed since that match, but it’s still very alive in the minds of anyone who was part of it. Winning the World Cup is the ultimate, but the Champions League is a close second.
Which was tougher to take: losing the 2007 Champions League Final to Milan in Athens, or missing out on the 2008-09 Premier League title when Liverpool were pipped by Manchester United? [Immediately] Oh, the Premier League title, without a doubt. We had won the Champions League against Milan two years earlier, and one of the biggest regrets in my career is that we didn’t manage to win the Premier League title with that Liverpool team. We were so close, but there were other great teams in the league as well. We thought it was possible when we beat Fulham 1-0 with a late goal from Yossi Benayoun. But the next day, Manchester United came from behind to beat Aston Villa with that goal from Federico Macheda. Then at the end of April, we won 3-1 away at Hull and I scored. We got on the plane back home and Spurs were 2-0 up at United, but by the time we had landed, they had lost 5-2! It just wasn’t meant to be.
Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres: that’s some spine to a team… Definitely – we had a great team, from back to front. It was a great spine. All of those players have unforgettable memories of the years we had together at Liverpool. The fans remember us – Stevie and Carra, obviously, but also us foreigners – which makes me so proud.
Would it be fair to say that you had your ups and downs with Rafael Benitez by the time you left to join Real Madrid? Many things have been written about this [Benitez was supposedly annoyed that Alonso missed a Champions League game against Inter to attend the birth of his daughter] but there was no tension between us at that time, really. There was always respect between us. Look, he wanted to sell me and I accepted his decision. That’s it.
What does Liverpool mean to you? I’m still a fan, first and foremost, and so is my son. It’s part of my life. ‘Once a Red, always a Red’ is more than a sentence – it’s something real. That spell is something huge in my life. The bond I have with the club is very strong: maybe not with the players, because Lucas is now the only player still there, but in terms of the feeling, that will never leave me. It’s the same with every club I’ve played for in my career.
“I’D NEVER TAKEN A PENALTY BEFORE ISTANBUL. WERE IT NOT FOR THE REBOUND, MY LIVERPOOL STORY MIGHT BE VERY DIFFERENT”
You were close to joining Real Madrid when Liverpool bought you. Did it feel like destiny to play for Los Blancos? I don’t know about destiny, but there had been interest in me from the club. It seemed like there had always been a chance of signing for Madrid in my career, you know? So when it came to leaving Liverpool, they were in for me again. To have Real Madrid interested in signing you is the greatest honour in football. I think it was the right move.
Describe Jose Mourinho in one word. [Thinks long and hard] Motivator. He’s all emotion, all heart, but also a very intelligent man and coach. He needs intelligent players, too, to carry out his plans and interpret them on the pitch.
What did he change at Real Madrid, especially with regards to the rivalry with Barcelona and Pep Guardiola? You’re always going to have that clash between Real Madrid and Barça. They are two giants who’ve always collided. At the time, Barcelona had Pep and we had Jose – two figures used to winning. Those years were intense for all of us, from players to fans. Every match was like a final. There was the Copa del Rey final, the Champions League semi-final and also the results that settled La Liga.
You’re one of a few who’ve played for both. How do they compare? Pep is just as passionate, but analyses things and loves tactical detail. He’s emotional, too, but it’s a different emotion. The way they play football, and how they get their team to play, is also very different.
How did you feel when you were booked in the semi-final of the 2013-14 Champions League and knew that you’d miss the final? I was gutted. I’d fought so much for La Decima during the season, so it was tough knowing I’d be banned. I told myself, ‘Xabi, tonight is your final.’ Winning 4-0 at the Allianz Arena was incredible. In the final itself it was hard, but I watched as a supporter. I suffered a lot that evening. It’s so much harder watching a game than it is to play.
In that case, do you see yourself becoming a coach in the future? It’s different, because at least you have some control over what is happening. I don’t know what I’ll do, but I’m not ruling anything out.
Is Carlo Ancelotti the perfect coach to oversee your final season? In the world of football, Carlo is one of the best people I’ve come across. He has got a great heart and he knows how to win over his players. Throughout our time together he has never treated me with anything other than the utmost respect and care.
Who have you enjoyed playing alongside the most? It’s impossible to decide. I’ve played with so many and have loved every second of it. Stevie G, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Arjen Robben, Philipp Lahm – they’re all greats.
Your final three seasons brought three Bundesliga titles... It’s the perfect end. I came here to experience a different kind of football at a massive club like Bayern and it’s been glorious. It is hard to say no to Pep when he asks you to come and play for his team. There’s so much quality in Germany, and it’s hard to win any league. I am extremely proud to finish in this way. Rafa, Jose, Pep, Ancelotti – you have played for some of the best coaches in football. How do they all compare? Each one has got their different way of working, but they all share similar basic characteristics that make them great coaches: they connect and relate to the squad and make you want to play for them. I have learned something from each of them. There are certain things that some of them do better or worse than others, but they all know how to squeeze everything from their players.
Were you confident when Spain began the 2010 World Cup in South Africa? We had a lot of confidence in ourselves, and felt very similar to when we’d won Euro 2008 a couple of years earlier. We knew this was our chance, even when we lost our first match to Switzerland. The team spirit in that defeat was just amazing, even among those who were not playing. You spend nearly a month together, so a good atmosphere is vital.
How does it feel to lift the World Cup? It’s like you’re in football heaven and you just want to stay there for as long as you possibly can. You know it won’t last too long, so you want to enjoy this moment. For me, this trophy doesn’t compare to any of the others I lifted.
Many teams tried to copy tiki-taka but few succeeded. Why’s that? I don’t like the word ‘tiki-taka’. Look, that was the only way to bring together all of the best players that Spain had at the time. We were very competitive and we conceded very few goals. People talk about us playing 10,000 passes for the sake of it, but we had no other way to play. We didn’t have really quick players to run in behind, but we did have players with excellent technique who could pass the ball.
Nigel de Jong’s ‘tackle’ in the final: what did you think at the time? I didn’t think anything, as I was on the floor with no idea what had happened – I had to watch a replay on the TV screen! All I felt was extreme pain in my chest. My body was shaking, but this was the World Cup final – there was no way I was going off. I played for as long as I could, but I couldn’t carry on into extra time. It felt like my body had been torn apart and then not put back together properly.
Did you break anything? There were a couple of stud marks but nothing else, as the impact was right on my ribcage. After Andres [Iniesta] won it for us, people were spraying water everywhere and I had to make them stop, as even that was hurting me! I had to say, “Leave me with this pain!”
Which is more important for a footballer: feet or brain? God, the brain, without a doubt. It’s all about what you do with your head. If you have the brain to understand the game, and know what to do in every moment and how to do it, then you’ve got it, and the rest will just follow.
Do you see yourself staying in the game after your retirement and passing that knowledge on, somehow? I think so. First I need a little time away from the game, to disconnect. I’ve spent so long inside the football bubble – pretty much 20 years – that I fancy getting out for a bit. Once I’ve done that, I don’t know how or where, but I’ll be back.