Quotes from Xabi Alonso

Matches in England are special.

I will always be grateful to Liverpool. It is a very special club.

Everything can change in the Champions League.

Bayern is a big club and a big brand, but on a daily basis, it's a family club. You get to know the physios, the kit man, the chefs. It's also a club that's very close to the supporters. That proximity to the fans makes it special. That was surprising. In Liverpool and Madrid, there's more distance.

I stay in contact with friends I have in Liverpool. It's not a normal club; it's so special and very important to me.

They value different things in every country. In England, it's very physical. You tackle, you shoot. I love watching it. In Spain, it's different. Pass the ball, move, find the space.

Sometimes that kind of last-ditch tackle can get the crowd excited, and you get a push from that. It's important to play with that psychological side of the game, but it depends on the quality of the player.

At Liverpool, I used to read the match day programme, and you'd read an interview with a lad from the youth team. They'd ask age, heroes, strong points, etc. He'd reply, 'Shooting and tackling.' I can't get into my head that football development would educate tackling as a quality, something to learn, to teach, a characteristic of your play.

I have been progressing throughout my career, which is a very good sign.

Passion? Of course it's necessary, but it's more important to have footballing foundations, certainly, when developing players.

If you have control of the midfield, you have control of the game, and you have more chances to win.

I have been lucky enough to be at great clubs, from my hometown club to Liverpool to Real Madrid to Bayern Munich.