David Alaba at the Real presentation
David Alaba is about to make his Champions League debut with Real Madrid. Explosive: According to ex-boss Uli Hoeneß, he actually wanted to rival FC Barcelona.
In Madrid, David Alaba quickly became a leading player and a big star for Real fans. Because both regular central defenders, captain Sergio Ramos (PSG) and world champion Raphael Varane (Manchester United), left the club in the summer, the Viennese immediately became head of defense.
Alaba moved to the Spanish capital on a free transfer from FC Bayern in the summer. As his former boss at Munich, Uli Hoeneß, now gossips, the “White Ballet” was not always his dream club.
The honorary president of the German record champions reveals on the radio station “Bayern 1”: “David Alaba once told me: 'My dream is still to play in Barcelona.' Then I said to him: 'Do you want to negotiate with the president or with the insolvency administrator?' “
He only mentions Alaba in a subordinate sentence when he talks about the financial difficulties of the Catalans. For Real fans, however, this information is explosive. So the 28-year-old apparently had a desire to join the big rival. As can be seen in the photo above, the Viennese kissed the Real coat of arms when he was introduced. Incidentally, that caused displeasure in Munich, so shortly after leaving his heart club.
The fact that nothing came of it is probably also due to the financial crisis. Barca had no money to equip superstar Lionel Messi with a new contract and had to sell Antoine Griezmann back to direct rival Atletico. At Real, the departure of Ramos and Varane opened up a sporting and financial gap that Alaba took advantage of.
On Tuesday, Barca and Bayern will meet in the Champions League. Hoeneß takes the opponent hard in court: “Barcelona is actually broke! If Barcelona were in Germany, that would be a case for the bankruptcy judge. Barcelona is no longer a role model for us. That can't be the solution. I'm also in favor of that you go to your limits. At the moment when the whole thing cannot be refinanced, you have to say 'No!' and 'Then I won't win the Champions League!' to say.”
