David Alaba leaves Real Madrid, signs with Udinese

A resume with 11 titles at Real Madrid and no club since summer. That was David Alaba's situation heading into the market, and the team that ended up landing him was, to the surprise of many, Udinese. The Italian club confirmed the signing this Thursday, settling the future of the Austrian defender following his departure from the Spanish giants.

Alaba, 34, became a free agent when his Real Madrid contract expired at the end of last season. He spent five years at the club, during which he won practically everything on offer: two Champions Leagues, two league titles and two FIFA Club World Cups, bringing his total to 11 trophies in that jersey. Before that, he had already made history at Bayern Munich, where he spent 13 seasons and won 10 Bundesliga titles along with two more Champions Leagues. His time in Madrid wasn't without setbacks, though: in 2023 he suffered a torn ACL that required surgery and significantly limited his playing time in the final stretch of his stint at the club.

For Udinese, currently sitting 13th in the Serie A table with just four points from five matchdays and coming off three straight losses, bringing in a player with that trophy case is no small thing. The club's general manager, Franco Collavino, didn't hide his excitement in the official statement.

Signing David Alaba is a source of enormous satisfaction for the entire club. We are welcoming an established champion, a leader and an exemplary professional. His arrival shows Udinese's determination to grow and compete at the highest level, while building an increasingly ambitious squad.Franco Collavino

Alaba himself made his motivation for coming to Italy clear. Far from thinking about a quiet wind-down, the Austrian insists he's still hungry to compete.

I've had a lot of experiences and won a lot throughout my career, but one thing hasn't changed: I still want to win. I still want to compete. And I still want to achieve something special. That's the mindset I'm bringing to Udinese.David Alaba

The defender also spoke about his conversation with coach Kosta Runjaić, who laid out the role he expects Alaba to play within the squad. "Naturally, I want to bring my experience to the locker room, take on responsibility and help out wherever I can, especially with the younger players," Alaba said. And he was even more direct about his intentions: "I'm not here just to be the veteran on the roster, and I certainly didn't come to slow down my career. I'm still too ambitious for that, and I still firmly believe in what I can give out on the field. I want to keep pushing myself, perform at the highest level in Serie A week after week and achieve something meaningful. I'm really excited about this challenge, and I still have a lot to prove to myself."

Beyond club level, Alaba also has a significant international career: he has 117 caps for the Austrian national team, which he captained at this summer's World Cup. Now, that leadership will have to carry over to an Udinese side in urgent need of results, one that sees its new signing as far more than just a big name added to the roster.