With quotes courtesy of TuttoMercatoWeb the former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid defender was officially presented on Tuesday, having signed as a free agent in September on a deal until June 2027.
The 34-year-old, a four-time Champions League winner, had been without a club since his Real Madrid contract expired on 30 June. He chose Udinese over interest from Union Berlin, Club América, Inter Miami and Al-Sadd, and the coach was the deciding factor.
“I spoke mainly with the coach, Runjaic, and he convinced me of the project here,” Alaba said. “I took my time to make a decision, and over time I became convinced that this was perhaps the right path. I believe it’s the right step for my career.”
He has been training with his new teammates for around a week and played down concerns about his fitness.
“I feel good and I feel ready to play. I’ve already been training with the team for about a week, and I trained hard in the previous months. I’ve spoken often with Runjaic about my role. I’ve played a lot as a centre-back and I feel comfortable there. I’ve played in other positions too, but mainly I feel good as a centre-back. As for the clubs, I can say that yes, I spoke with other Italian clubs.”
Alaba on Modric, Arnautovic and Ribery advice
Before signing, he sought advice from some familiar names.
“Yes, I spoke with several players, like Modric, Arnautovic and Ribery. On the role, I’ve spoken with the coach and he’ll decide. I can play in the middle of a back three, but also on the left of it.”
He also explained why he stepped away from Austria duty this month.
“I’m always in contact with Rangnick, we have a great relationship. We consciously decided together to pause things with Austria for a few days because I wanted to start my time in Udine. Serie A was definitely a league I wanted to play in, and that was definitely part of my choice.”
Group technical director Gianluca Nani admitted the deal, worked on quietly over three weeks, was a rare one for the Friulians: “Usually we sell players to Real Madrid, now we’re signing them.”
Alaba brushed off the doubts about his condition.
“I know what kind of player I am and I’m here to play football. I’m here to write the next pages of my story as a footballer. I have a lot of experience and I want to put it at the team’s disposal. I’m less interested in the rumours.”
And he was clear about why he came.
“I decided to come here not because of my past, but because I’m ambitious and I always want more. It’s an important project and I think it’s the right step for my career. I don’t need to prove anything to myself, but I came here to build a new chapter of my career, and to help the team with my quality and experience.”
Udinese face Torino on Monday, and Alaba is ready if called upon: “I’m feeling good ahead of Monday. The decision is up to Runjaic, and we’ll also speak with the medical staff, but I feel very good.”