Alaba's return: “I’ve worked so hard every day waiting for this moment”
“The team has helped me a lot and without my teammates, the medical staff, the physios and the rehabilitation team it would have been harder,” said the Austrian after his comeback.
David Alaba made his comeback for Real Madrid in the match against UD Las Palmas 399 days after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. After the match, the Austrian defender was congratulated in the dressing room by the club president and his teammates and was interviewed by Realmadrid TV: “I'm very happy. It's a special day for me. I’d like to thank the fans. I’ve waited a long time for this moment because last year was really long and hard. I’ve worked so hard every day waiting for this moment. Making my comeback at home was wonderful.”
“The team’s helped me a lot and without my teammates, the medical staff, the physios and the rehabilitation team it would’ve been harder. They’ve helped me a lot every day working very hard.”
On the match
“We played really well. For me, it was an amazing match and we deserved the victory.”
The long-awaited moment
Alaba sustained an injury on 17 December 2023 against Villarreal at the Bernabéu. Two days later, he underwent surgery and from then on embarked on a long recovery process that culminated in his return to action on matchday 20 of LaLiga 24/25. Having overcome the injury, and after several weeks of training with his teammates, Ancelotti revealed that Alaba would have minutes against the Canary Islanders. In the 76th minute, he came on in place of Rüdiger and the Santiago Bernabéu gave him an emotional ovation.