He spoke to AS.
Former Real Madrid full-back and current Leverkusen player Lucas Vazquez claimed that Xabi Alonso is considered a legend for what he achieved at the German outfit in a recent interview with AS.
He was asked about his former club and how they are managing through a rough patch with Alonso as manager, to which he said: “Xabi Alonso is a legend at Leverkusen. What he did with them is incredible, part of their history.
“Of course, we talk about what’s happening at Real Madrid and all… but people in football also know that these are just phases, like a period of many changes at Real Madrid, where we have to be patient and have faith in both the great players we have and the coach.”
Vazquez on Leverkusen players asking him about Real Madrid
“Leverkusen players ask me about Real Madrid, it’s true. From the outside, everyone sees Real Madrid as the biggest club in the world.”
Vazquez on Zidane
“Zidane was the idol of our entire dressing room. We all had a huge admiration for him. It’s true that at the start, nobody imagined the success we were going to have, but he was a very straightforward guy, always upfront. He spoke to the players in a way that always told you what he thought, giving you the importance you deserved, and that’s something to value. What I highlight most about him is the confidence he showed in the players. Zidane still felt like a player and knew how the players thought. He was very involved with us.”
Vazquez on the penalty in Milan
“I told Bettoni and Zidane that I wanted to take a penalty. And as soon as they made the list, they put me first. They asked me if I wanted it, and I said yes. But honestly, I think I wasn’t really aware of everything that was happening (laughs). I felt confident, I had a feeling I was going to score and that it would help the team win the Champions League, which is what we all wanted. The most important thing in penalty shootouts is that the ones who take the penalty are the ones who are confident they’re going to score. And that’s exactly what happened.”
Vazquez on winning the three-peat
“Man, we knew it wasn’t normal. Three Champions in a row… it’s something that no one has done in history and that, today, is practically impossible. At the time maybe we didn’t give it the importance it has, but now it’s seen in perspective… you can see how great that was. Winning three Champions in a row and the way we did it, was an immense joy, something difficult to repeat. And I’ll tell you, I think a lot of things came together to win those three in a row.”
Vazquez on Cristiano Ronaldo
“What am I going to tell you about Cristiano! He was very important throughout his career, the greatest player in the history of Real Madrid. His loss would be noticeable in any team and in our case, it was very important, because we lost 60 goals a year. But well, Real Madrid always continues, always wins again and we recovered. But very grateful to Cristiano for everything he has given to Real Madrid.”
You can read the rest of the interview here.
Category: General Sports
