Lionel Messi felt "mistreated" and thought of leaving Barca when under investigation for tax fraud in 2013.
Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso was in Madrid court on Wednesday to face charges of tax fraud after opting not to acce…
Xabi Alonso played for Madrid between 2009-14.
Ex-Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso says he is “not unrelaxed” about Spanish prosecutors asking for five years jail time in his long-running tax case.
Spanish prosecutors are seeking a five-year prison sentence, having accused the former Spain international of defrauding tax authorities of around €2 million by filing incorrect tax returns in 2010, 2011 and 2012, while he was a Madrid player.
Prosecutors also say a fine of €4m is due, in addition to the amount allegedly defrauded.
Alonso,…
Stewart Robson weighs in on the current doubts over Jurgen Klopp following Liverpool’s latest draw against Newcastle.
Xabi Alonso believes Steven Gerrard will go on to become a “big manager” and says he is closely observing his progress with Liverpool’s under-18s.
Gerrard began coaching in February and took charge of the club’s U18s at their Kirkby academy in the summer.
Alonso, who played alongside Gerrard at Liverpool for five years between 2004 and 2009, says his former teammate has the ability and know-how to manage the first team.
“I’m following the early steps of his career closely and for sure he has all…
Retiring Philip Lahm and Xabi Alonso said goodbye to the Bayern Munich fans at their Bundesliga title party.
Paul Mariner and Mark Donaldson reflect on Xabi Alonso’s storied career after the Spaniard announced his retirement Thursday.
Xabi Alonso has told German football magazine kicker that not winning the Premier League with Liverpool remains one of the biggest regrets of his career.
Alonso, who retired from football at the end of the season after a final spell at Bayern Munich, won the Champions League and the FA Cup during his five seasons at Anfield.
He came close to winning the Premier League in 2008-09, when Liverpool finished as runners-up to Manchester United.
“I would include not winning the Champions League with Bayern…
Paul Mariner and Mark Donaldson reflect on Xabi Alonso’s storied career after the Spaniard announced his retirement Thursday.
Craig Burley and Mark Donaldson give their take on what makes the ultimate footballer based on five core attributes.
The Bernabeu tends not the be the most sentimental of venues during the heat of the battle, so what happened in the 75th minute of Real Madrid’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Bayern Munich — with the tie in the balance — was especially significant.
Facing an away-goals exit, it was reasonable enough for Bayern that a forward like Thomas Muller should replace the deep-lying Xabi Alonso; more significant, though, was the spine-tingling ovation that the former Madrid midfielder…
Bayern Munich’s Philipp Lahm hopes that football supporters will remember him as a good player when he retires at the end of the season.
Carlo Ancelotti has said he will substitute Philipp Lahm and Xabi Alonso shortly before the end of Bayern Munich’s final game of the season to allow fans an opportunity to pay their respects to both ahead of their retirement.
Bayern captain Lahm, 33, and former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Alonso, 35, will play the final game of their respective careers on Saturday against Freiburg, along with third-choice goalkeeper Tom Starke.
Bayern Munich
SC Freiburg
1:30 PM UTC
Game Details
Home: 1/6
Draw: 7/1
Away: 14/1
Odds from bet365
bet365
PickCenter
GameCast
Lineups and Stats
“I’ll take them both off five minutes before time and let…
Carlo Ancelotti expects to see Bayern Munich put their loss to Real Madrid behind them when they face Leverkusen.
Xabi Alonso has made 23 Bundesliga appearances this season, scoring three goals.
Bayern Munich’s ex-Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso has said that he might have joined Barcelona earlier in his career.
Alonso spent five years at Madrid from 2009 to 2014, and was heavily involved in on-pitch battles against Barcelona during the often-turbulent Clasico clashes when Jose Mourinho was Blancos coach.
However, Speaking to El Pais ahead of his return to the Bernabeu with Bayern on Tuesday, Alonso revealed that Pep Guardiola had since told him he almost made an approach to take…
Take an exclusive behind-the-scenes look of Manchester City’s clash with Liverpool from inside the tunnel at the Etihad.
Xabi Alonso has told the Liverpool Echo that he considers himself “lucky” to have played for the most storied clubs in England, Spain and Germany.
Alonso will retire from football at the end of the season, bringing an end to his illustrious career at Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
The midfielder joined Liverpool in the summer of 2004, winning the Champions League and FA Cup before his departure to the Bernabeu.
“I have been lucky enough to be at great clubs from my hometown…
Paul Mariner and Mark Donaldson reflect on Xabi Alonso’s storied career after the Spaniard announced his retirement Thursday.
Xabi Alonso explains his decision for retiring in the summer once Bayern Munich’s season ends.
Xabi Alonso does everything in life with class. From his performances on the football pitch to the way he announced his retirement from the game.
The former Spain midfielder also acted with supreme dignity when he jokingly reminded his current manager of losing a Champions League final after one of the greatest comebacks football has ever seen.
Indeed, the Bayern Munich player, who announced this week that he will hang up his boots at the end of the season, was discussing his career at a news…
Paul Mariner and Mark Donaldson reflect on Xabi Alonso’s storied career after the Spaniard announced his retirement Thursday.
Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso announced his plans to retire at the end of the season on Thursday.
Xabi Alonso explains his decision for retiring in the summer once Bayern Munich’s season ends.
The FC crew have strong words of praise for Xabi Alonso after reports that the midfielder will retire at season’s end.
MANCHESTER — Pep Guardiola has predicted that Xabi Alonso will make a great manager after the Bayern Munich midfielder announced his retirement at the end of the season.
Former Bayern boss Guardiola brought Alonso to the Allianz Arena and the pair won two Bundesliga titles before Guardiola moved to Manchester City last summer.
They had previously been rivals in Spain when Guardiola’s Barcelona were fighting for the title with Alonso’s Real Madrid.
But Guardiola was impressed with the 35-year-old…