Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso insists his players are excited and motivated ahead of their opening Champions League clash against Olympique Marseille at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday night.
Speaking at Real Madrid City, Softfootball reports that Alonso stressed the unique feeling of playing Europe’s top competition in the famous white shirt, In an interview quoted by the team’s official web handle, Alonso claimed that it’s a special feeling for the players to put on the badge of the most successful team in the competition
We’re approaching it with the excitement levels that come with playing for Real Madrid in the Champions League. It’s special for this team, and playing at the Bernabéu, with all of that history, is even greater motivation. The guys are eager to keep making progress, to keep growing and to face tough, top-level opposition. We’re up against a very good team tomorrow and we hope to start strongly. When you arrive here, as a coach or a player, that’s the responsibility you live with. It’s a privilege.
Real Madrid was also in tune with the club’s manager, echoing his message on a post made via the team’s official X account.
They Posted:
The Madrid boss quickly dismissed lingering controversy from the weekend’s narrow 2-1 victory against Real Sociedad at Anoeta, urging focus on the European stage, Alonso also explained that the squad’s training was slightly delayed due to routine anti-doping tests but played down any concerns.
We spoke after the game, and I’ve already said all I needed to say to you in the press conference following the match. We’re leaving it there, now it’s time to move on and look at the Champions League, which is what we’re dealing with now and it’s highly important.
Antidoping tests prior to training:
They’re things beyond our control. It’s just LaLiga protocol. We had to do it today, and then we were able to train. We were a little delayed, that’s all there is to it. We don’t decide these things.
Turning to his players, Alonso praised Vinícius Júnior’s selfless performance while down to ten men on Saturday. He also highlighted Dani Carvajal’s leadership, calling the captain a positive influence whose maturity and responsibility have grown over the years.
I’ve spoken to him, he did a fantastic job despite us being a man down on Saturday. It wasn’t ideal for an attacking player but he sacrificed himself for the team. It was a real team win. He looks good to me, his energy levels are high for tomorrow.
Carvajal as a Leader:
There’s one thing that hasn’t changed much, and that’s his competitive spirit. Ever since he came in during the 2013-14 season, he had that, and when he arrived from Leverkusen he played an important role in his first season. He gave us a lot, and we ended up winning the Champions League. That hasn’t changed much over the years, but his personality, maturity, the influence he holds as a captain, with the experience he has at Madrid and the national team, the respect his teammates have for him, the sense of responsibility he instils, that’s all been developing and it’s what I’ve found now. He was still recovering while we were in the United States, but now he’s fit enough to play, you can see what a positive impact he has on everyone around him. We need to have those kinds of leaders in a dressing room, they’re crucial. Carva is an example of that. There are lots of others and we need that strong core to guide the rest.
Star signing Kylian Mbappé was another focus of discussion. Alonso described him as both a leader and a quick learner. With the striker tipping Real Madrid to win the UEFA Champions League in other reports, Xabi Alonso was asked whether Mbappé feels anxious to win the Champions League. The gaffer was calm, claiming the star forward doesn’t look one bit anxious.
I was optimistic about it. Following the Club World Cup, I was eager to get to know him and to find that connection. Then you see the player he is, and the curiosity he has about the game. He loves to learn and understand things, and when he’s able to do that, his individual quality flourishes. We need him and the group’s collective quality that will allow him to do his own thing and make a difference as well. It’s not about only Kylian, Vini or Rodrygo, we need the team to work. We need collective quality with and without the ball, so we can help them make the difference.”
Alonso, who lifted La Décima during his playing days at Madrid, underlined the pressure and privilege of managing the club and wants nothing more than his team kickstarting the new UCL campaign with a victory.
