Xabi Alonso

I have been progressing throughout my career, which is a very good sign.

I feel very comfortable with the system used by Mourinho. It's a very dynamic 4-2-3-1 that can easily change to 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 depending on the moment or the team's needs. He really knows what he wants.

It's hard to imagine being an ex-player. It's not easy to find a new passion.

If I have to yell at Cristiano Ronaldo, I yell.

Anoeta is always a tough place to go: people get right behind their side.

Losing is a part of this sport.

I want to win the Champions League with Bayern.

Sometimes that kind of last-ditch tackle can get the crowd excited, and you get a push from that. It's important to play with that psychological side of the game, but it depends on the quality of the player.

I hardly ever get in the box.

Madrid is a big city. It's very dynamic and cosmopolitan.

Each time I watch a Liverpool game, I feel something special, especially whenever it's at Anfield, because it brings back great memories.

Leaving Liverpool was the toughest decision I had to make in football because I was in an exemplary club, a proper football club, with a lovely and sharing stadium that meant a lot of things to me. The fans are the best in the world, no doubt about that, and I was comfortable there.

You need to have the same ideas to work as a team, to have a good team spirit. And you don't get there in a day or even a month. It takes some time to get there.

Of course it's better to have good players to build a better team. But to build a team, you need to have time.

I prefer not to compare teams because it's not fair at all.

Cristiano has unique qualities, brings danger in one-on-one situations, and has the ability to score and find something different.

While I was at Madrid, for me, Cristiano was the best.

I think Kimmich is a bit like Mascherano. They are similar type of players.

At Liverpool, I used to read the match day programme, and you'd read an interview with a lad from the youth team. They'd ask age, heroes, strong points, etc. He'd reply, 'Shooting and tackling.' I can't get into my head that football development would educate tackling as a quality, something to learn, to teach, a characteristic of your play.

I don't try to do things that might make me look stupid, because the risk is there.