Condemned to watch

Alaba honest: “It took everything to be there”

Marcel Sabitzer (left) also appreciates David Alaba's presence.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

David Alaba is currently experiencing his third European Football Championship, but this time in a new role. Due to his knee injury, the Real Madrid professional is not acting as a player in Germany, but as a "non-playing captain". In this role, Alaba is a link between the coaching team and the squad, he takes part in coaches' meetings, is also close to his team-mates - and clearly feels at home in his new role, as he said on Saturday in Berlin.

And yet there is still a big drop of bitterness, as Alaba can only watch the ÖFB team's performances from the substitutes' bench. "Of course you always have moments when you'd rather be on the pitch. That's completely normal and will always be my aspiration. On the other hand, I try to support the team as much as I can," said the Viennese. His role has "not changed significantly", Alaba emphasized. "I'm the captain of this team, I want to lead the way and make the difference with my presence."

The four-time Champions League winner has already experienced enough knockout phases at club level. What he has learned: "We mustn't make the mistake of straying from our path. We have to follow our plan and still try to stay relaxed, approach the games as we have done so far and believe in our strengths." Nervousness and a certain amount of tension are not a bad thing. "The trick is to transform it so that you're focused," said Alaba.

Success was logical for Alaba
This has worked well so far, as the group win ahead of France and the Netherlands proved. For Alaba, this success was only the logical consequence of his work with team boss Ralf Rangnick and therefore not surprising. "We've been on a path that looks very good, and not just since the European Championship. You also need a very good squad for that. We always knew that we had enormous potential in the team."

Ralf Rangnick prepares his team for the match against Turkey.

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

The conditions at Euro 2016 (out in the group stage) and Euro 2021 (out in the round of 16) were less good. "If you look at our squad now, in terms of quality and breadth, it's different to eight years ago," said Alaba. "At the moment, everything really fits extremely well, we also have a certain unity as a team that is very special."

To get this far, they had to "go through a process so that we play the way we do today", explained Alaba. "I wouldn't want to miss the time before that. It was all necessary to get to where we are today."

Role of favorites against Turkey
Due to their current top form, the ÖFB team are considered the favorites ahead of Tuesday's European Championship round of 16 against Turkey in Leipzig. Alaba is quite unperturbed by this. "We realize that expectations are high, but we know that from previous years. We won't let it drive us crazy at all. We have our own expectations, and of course we want to live up to them. We won't allow ourselves to be swayed from our path," announced the 32-year-old.

Accordingly, the 6:1 against the Turks in the test in Vienna last March is no longer a big issue. "We know it will be a completely different game," said Alaba. The ÖFB star was full of praise for his Turkish Real club colleague Arda Güler. "He's a super kid, a talent with incredible potential and very high quality. He already showed that at the European Championships, and he shows it in every training session at Real."

In contrast to the 19-year-old, Hakan Calhanoglu will not be able to start against Austria - the director is missing due to a yellow card suspension. "The fact that he's out is something that hurts them somewhere. But we're only concerned with ourselves," explained Alaba.

Focus on comeback
As in previous European Championship matches, Rangnick is heavily involved in his preparations for Tuesday's match. "I'm heavily involved in the coaching team's analysis and preparations for the games. The coach always brings me in and asks me for my opinion." However, it remains to be seen whether Alaba will pursue a coaching career after his playing days. "I don't want to deal with that at the moment. The focus is on my comeback."

It will probably be a while before he returns to the pitch. Alaba has not yet started running training following the cruciate ligament rupture he suffered on December 17, and he did not want to give a date for his return to team training. "I'm making very good progress, but I'm not putting too much pressure on myself or giving myself a specific date. I want to come back when I'm at 100 percent, and I'm doing everything I can to achieve that."

Alaba is currently completing two sessions a day with a personal fitness trainer and a physiotherapist, who are in regular contact with Real. The rehab is "sometimes intensive and very hard", said the 105-time ÖFB international. "But I'm getting better from week to week." Due to his rehab, Alaba cannot attend every coaching meeting. "That wouldn't be possible."