Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has spoken positively of his reunion with old side Liverpool. The Basque coach did return with Bayer Leverkusen last season, but this time will bring with him Trent Alexander-Arnold, who will face his boyhood club for the first time.
Understandably, it was a key topic of conversation in their pre-match press conference. Dean Huijsen did tell the media that they had overblown Vinicius Junior’s outburst during El Clasico, while Alonso reiterated that he felt the issue had been resolved. On this game, Alonso called it a classic of the genre in Europe.
“On the one hand, it’s a classic of European football, both historically and in the present. It’s a match that fans enjoy watching. Trent and I have our own history here. It feels good to return to a place where you’ve been so loved. But we’re here to focus on our own game, to get a good result.”
Xabi Alonso – ‘My time at Anfield influenced me a lot’
On the significance of his own time at Anfield, Alonso highlighted that it was a major part of his development, after making the jump from Real Sociedad.
“It influenced me a lot; it wasn’t a trivial step. I spent five years with Rafa Benítez, and I learned a great deal about elite football. It helped me get to where I am now. And if you love football, you love playing here. They were very good years. They helped me as a player and as a coach. I still remember many things from that time, and they’re useful to me today.”
“I try not to let my emotions cloud my judgment; I want to focus on the game. Then, whatever happens, happens. I try to distance myself from the emotion; I do it on every pitch I return to. I want to be focused on what I want to do.”
‘Trent’s story is different to mine’ – Xabi Alonso
Alexander-Arnold is coming off six weeks out of action, and has been on the bench for their last two clashes against Barcelona and Valencia, but has yet to return. Fede Valverde is expected to continue starting at right-back as he is eased back in.
“He’s fine, he didn’t play because of the context of the match against Valencia, but he’s available. He can play. We need him, he has tremendous quality, he’s in a new phase and we have to help him perform.”
The 26-year-old left under something of a cloud, with some fans at Anfield failing to understand his decision to make the same move he did to the Bernabeu.
“His story is a little different from mine; he was born here. I remember him when he was little, in the academy.”
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