Champions League: Xabi Alonso meets his old love for the first time as a coach in the live ticker!
Former world-class player and current Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso will face his old team Real Madrid for the first time in the Champions League today.
The Spaniard spent five successful years at Real, winning the Champions League, La Liga and the Copa del Rey. He left the club in 2014.
The match between Leverkusen and Real Madrid will be a special one for Alonso. "It will be a very emotional game for me," he said at the pre-match press conference. "I have a lot of great memories of my time at Real Madrid and I still have many friends there."
Alonso is hoping to get a good result against his former club. "We know it will be a difficult game, but we are confident that we can win," he said. "We have a good team and we are playing at home."
The match between Leverkusen and Real Madrid will be played at the BayArena in Leverkusen. Kick-off is at 21:00 CET.
Here is a look back at Alonso's time at Real Madrid:
- Alonso joined Real Madrid from Liverpool in 2009.
- He quickly became a key player for the team, playing in midfield alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.
- Alonso won the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2014.
- He also won La Liga and the Copa del Rey with the club.
- Alonso left Real Madrid in 2014 to join Bayern Munich.
Here are some of Alonso's achievements as a player:
- Champions League: 2014
- La Liga: 2012
- Copa del Rey: 2011, 2014
- UEFA Super Cup: 2014
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2014
Alonso is now hoping to achieve success as a coach. He has a tough task ahead of him, but he is confident that he can succeed.
