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After 2013 and 2020 with FC Bayern Munich, the ÖFB star won the most coveted title in club football again on Saturday with Real Madrid by beating Liverpool 1-0 in the Stade de France near Paris and has already held a total of 30 trophies in his career.
“I’m overjoyed. Of course you come here with the dream of winning the Champions League, then you can achieve that today, that’s really incredible,” Alaba explained in the ZDF interview. “Every final writes its own story, and it’s always something special to be able to stand on the biggest stage in football. I’m really very grateful for that.”
The Viennese made a not insignificant contribution to Real’s 14th triumph in the most important European Cup competition. He put in a strong performance as a defender and also tried to set accents on the offensive.
A remarkable pass by the 29-year-old almost made it 1-0 for Real in the 43rd minute. His pass to Karim Benzema was followed seconds later by the Frenchman’s supposed goal, which was disallowed for a narrow offside position. Before and after that, the central defender withstood Liverpool’s attacking vortex in his first game in more than a month after an adductor problem and can look back on a fantastic first season with Real.
“The faith we have this season is incredible,” said Alaba, who had made some notable comebacks with his new club. “We don’t get nervous, we believe in our strengths, then we strike. Not only today, we’ve seen that several times this year,” he recalled of successful catching-up races against Paris St. Germain, Chelsea and most recently Manchester City.
Alaba immediately established himself in the starting eleven of the “Royal” and won the Spanish championship and the Supercup with them. Now came the icing on the cake – and of all places in the stadium where Alaba celebrated his ÖFB A team debut against France on October 14, 2009 at the age of 17 years and 112 days.
Alaba also made a disappointing experience in the Stade de France forgotten for him. In the final stadium of the 1998 World Cup, he and the national team lost the group match against Iceland 2-1 at EURO 2016, which meant elimination from the group stage.
Source: Nachrichten
