“Central problem for Real”
Spanish press beats up ex-Bayern star Alaba
December 13, 2023, 10:22 a.m
David Alaba wins with Real Madrid at Union Berlin. But with some uncertainties, the Austrian puts his team in trouble. The former FC Bayern star is facing troubled times at Royal. The Spanish press has already zeroed in on “the central problem.”
Former Bayern professional David Alaba came under criticism after Real Madrid’s victory at Union Berlin. “Alaba, a central problem for Madrid,” wrote the Spanish sports newspaper “Mundo Deportivo” after the performance of the Royal defense chief in the 3-2 win on Tuesday evening.
The 31-year-old Austrian made a serious mistake when Kevin Volland scored Berlin’s opening goal in stoppage time in the first half and involuntarily presented the ball to the Union attacker: his ricochet landed right in Volland’s path. “Marca” wrote about a “terrible” attempt to clarify things backwards. Alaba didn’t always seem confident in other situations either. In the 71st minute, coach Carlo Ancelotti replaced him and brought on Antonio Rüdiger.
“He had to accept a significant drop in performance last season, and this season he is continuing this development with mistakes that are untypical for a defender of the quality of an Austrian,” “Mundo deportivo” continued. Alaba initially did not comment on his performance after the game.
Change next summer?
Alaba moved to Spain on a free transfer in the summer of 2021 after a total of 13 years at FC Bayern Munich. In the run-up to the change, there were verbal arguments between the record champions on the one hand and the team around Alaba and his advisor Pini Zahavi.
The nine-time Austrian Footballer of the Year has so far played 101 competitive games for the Royals. With the Spanish giants he won both the national championship and the Champions League in the 2021/2022 season. Last season they managed to win the Spanish Cup.
But whether Alaba still has a great future with the Royals has been doubtful since the game against Union Berlin. Recently there have been repeated rumors about a possible departure of the Austrian next summer. The defender has been identified several times as the main culprit for defeats and goals conceded.