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August 03 Zidane and the world cup's best playersBecause his reaction was so violent, so spectacular and so clear to see, everyone's last image of Zinedine Zidane is inevitably going to be his head-butt and sending off in the final. What he did had such enormous repercussion that it is inevitable for people to be talking about it. Inevitable but sad. Zidane is one of the greats and had an excellent world cup.
That said, I wouldn’t have him down as the tournament's best player. My favourites were Juan Roman Riquelme and Patrick Vieira.
Vieira was the real motor behind France; it was his drive that carried the team along. They didn't expect to get to the final and I think the fact that they surprised themselves owed more to Vieira than any other individual player.
Although Argentina were knocked out quite early, I love watching Riquelme and I felt that, yet again, everything that Argentina did came through him. Look at the chances they created and almost all of them began at his feet,. He was the one that sparked all of their attacks, who literally got the ball rolling. He is the man who creates Argentina's football. I love to watch players who really play football, who made it all happen - and none do so more than him. It was a real shame that he did not get to prove himself later in the tournament. The world cup's best teamsNo team ever wins the world cup without deserving it and I think Italy are worthy world champions. In key moments they proved themselves capable of withstanding the pressure and getting results. As we say in Spain, they know how to suffer. They showed that by holding on at 0-0 for long periods of the game against Germany before beating them in extra-time, and then again in the final against France, when they were under pressure for a long, long time. And, when it really mattered, they found a way of getting the vital goal or clinching the result. I wouldn’t begrudge them their world title at all; their ability to compete at the highest level is very impressive.
Nonetheless, the team that I liked the most was Germany. From the very first game, it was clear that they knew exactly how they wanted to approach the tournament, they played with real confidence and pace, and they managed to get the whole country behind them. Out in Germany, you could really feel the weight of home support and the excitement that Jurgen Klinsmann and his players had brought to the country. They were a strong, powerful, young team who I really enjoyed watching and, I must confess, I wouldn’t have minded seeing the win the World Cup. August 02 Spain's world cupAfter we had played so well in the opening three games, we genuinely expected to go much further at the world cup. Alas, it was not to be and we left Germany with a real sense of sadness. It could have been so different but it ended up being the same old story. It is difficult to put your finger on what went wrong. I wouldn’t say we were lacking anything as such, it was more that when it came to the crucial moments we were unable to give our best. You can play as well as you like in the group games but when it is a case of win or you're out on your ear, then you have to win. There are no second chances and no going back. You couldn’t say we were a bad side - in fact we played very well - but we had to win against France and we didn’t. The same happened at the last European championships: we had played well but at that key moment we didn’t rise to the challenge. We couldn’t keep that run going, which is what you have to do - at any cost.
When you have been knocked out of a world cup, you just go back to the hotel, pick up your things and leave as soon as possible. We were back in Spain by the following afternoon. It's better that way. All the players have spent a couple of months together and defeat really hurts. Everyone is quiet, everyone gets left with a bad taste in their mouths and they just want to get home. Then there are those who can go on holiday and forget about it and others who mull over it for months, but whichever type of player you are, there is still no point in hanging around in Germany. You just want to draw a line under it all and get out of there. No one stays behind. Xabi Alonso - August, 2nd 2006It was my first day back at Melwood (Liverpool's training ground) this morning after the World Cup and the summer holidays. Although today was a day for seeing the doctor and undergoing the normal pre-season physical tests rather than actually doing any real training or any ball work (and despite the fact that the England players are not back yet), everyone was really enthusiastic and excitedly looking forward to the season ahead.
They were also, of course, still looking back on the world cup. Naturally enough when the players get together for the first time in a while, even those who didn’t play in the tournament end up talking about it: they may not have been there, but they saw it on television just like fans from all over the world. Everyone wants to pick over the bones of Germany 2006.
Not that we have long to do so: we're already focused on the season ahead with Liverpool. Ever since Rafa Benítez has arrived at the club we have progressed season by season. In the first year we won the European Cup, which was a fantastic start. In the second, we won the FA Cup and, just as importantly, really closed the gap on Chelsea in the league. This year, Rafa's third, we know that we have to continue improving. We have brought some very exciting new players and we're confident that we can maintain our progression. That's the best way to challenge for the trophies that define the club.
July 06 Nine million campaignI would like to take this opportunity through MSN to ask everyone to support the Nine Million Campaign. The campaign is designed to help refugee children from all over the world and is closely linked to football. In fact, one of the key ideas is to supply nine million footballs to children, with a third of the money raised going towards this initiative. As well as providing education for children, many of whom are living in extreme poverty or in areas of conflict and warfare, the idea is to offer them the chance to enjoy themselves. Not only does football allow them to have fun and provide a release, it can also foster friendship and helps to educate children, promoting values of harmony and togetherness. It helps kids grow in confidence and self-esteem, so please support us in any way you can. Football is a fantastic way of making a real difference to millions of lives. My favourite songsIt's hard to name your top five songs because there are so many that you could include but right now I would have to go for:
Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
Andres Calamaro, "Estadio Azteca."
Andres Calamaro, "Flaca."
Robbie Williams, "Angels".
And, living in and playing for Liverpool, I really have to add Johnny Cash's, "Ring of Fire"! July 05 Xabi Alonso - July, 5th 2006I have had a bit of time to mull over it now, but while I have finally got used to the idea that we are no longer there, that doesn’t make our world cup exit at the hands of France very much easier to take.
Their equaliser just before half time cost us dearly. It was a real blow not to go in a goal up; psychologically we never really recovered from that. If we had managed to get to half time one-nil up I am convinced that it would have been different. At half time the coach, Luis Aragonés, told us to remain calm and keep a clear head because our chance would come. But it never did and we never really settled; we didn’t get a clear opportunity for the rest of the game and then they caught us out from a free kick.
It was really hard to go out after we had started the world cup so well and created such expectation. We really did expect to be in Germany much longer and after the game the dressing room was a depressing place. As I looked around the thing that really struck me was the silence. We were all just so disappointed to be going home early. June 27 Xabi Alonso - June, 27th 2006Once you get to the knock out stages, the World Cup starts for real - and for us it couldn’t have started with a much more difficult match. From now on it's life or death: either we continue in the competition or we get sent home, it's as simple as that. That changes the mentality a bit. There is always tension, there are always nerves, but that becomes heightened now because of what is riding on every game. We have to fully concentrated because the slightest slip could be fatal; every game becomes like a final, there is no way back. We have to approach every game with confidence but we also have to make sure that we do not make any mistakes.
That awareness of the repercussions could alter the course of the game, depending on how things are going - depending on how we see the match. If we are winning, it could be that we seek to protect ourselves that little bit more whereas if we are losing we will have no choice but to really go all out for a goal. Depending on the way the game is poised, we will make different readings of the match. We're intelligent enough to know when to push and when to wait. We are also conscious of the importance of balancing our midfield, of combining creativity with defensive security. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that the best way for us to approach the game and to beat France is to keep the ball and try to dominate the game. That's our style - and so far it has been the recipe that has worked for us. Xabi Alonso - June, 27th 2006Facing France is a much harder game than we anticipated for the first knock out round and we know that it will be very, very tough. They are a very strong team, they have loads of experience and some exceptional players, including a number of those who won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championships two years later. Although they have not played as well as they would like so far in this tournament, when you have players as good as they have you can beat anyone in a one-off game and we know that we cannot afford to underestimate them. We won't go into this match over-confident.
France are a very strong side physically, especially in the middle of midfield with Claude Makelele and Patrick Viera. Up front they have great pace with Thierry Henry and then there is Zinedine Zidane creating chances. Because of Makelele and Viera it will be far harder for us to maintain possession than it was in our first three games, but that is what we must try to do. We are not cut out to cede possession to the opposition; we're a team that wants the ball as much as possible.
Because this game could go to extra time and even penalties, it is important that we are in such good shape physically - in fact, we have been surprised how good our physical condition has been after a long season and in the extreme heat - and I think it may also help that we know so many of their players, having played against them in both the Spanish and English leagues. In fact, in some cases we have even played with them: Cesc plays with Henry, Raúl with Zidane and so on. We know what they're capable of and they know all about us. It's going to be a massive match and we're approaching it with great desire and real hope. We're enjoying ourselves in Germany and we want to stay here for as long as we can. June 23 Xabi Alonso - June, 23rd 2006I'm a big cinema fan and I like all sorts of movies, but my favourites have to be:
The Great Escape
La vida es bella (Life is Sweet)
Casablanca
Shawshank Redemption June 22 Xabi Alonso - June, 22nd 2006It was very important for us to come back from behind against Tunisia. Not just because we secured the victory but also because it shows that we have character and helps to give us confidence for the rest of the tournament. It could be very good for us in the future and being able to turn a game round is a quality that I think we should value very highly. We gave our all throughout the match; it was a tough task and for a long time we couldn’t find a way through but eventually we broke their defence. We knew that it would be hard when we went 1-0 down because we knew they would sit back and close off all the spaces. I thought we played pretty well but we just couldn't give that final pass until Raul finally scored the equaliser. The suffering made victory all the better.
We now go into the next round with tranquillity and confidence. The same is true of the final game against Saudi Arabia. We're already through and I guess there will be some changes to the starting XI but we have to approach it seriously and wait and see what happens in Group G. I don’t think we can worry about which team we end up facing, whether it's France, Korea or Switzerland. June 19 Xabi Alonso - June, 19th 2006Tunisia next, and we know that the victory over Ukraine doesn’t mean anything now. We have to approach this like any other game: it looks like the same starting XI will play - with Casillas in goal, Ramos, Puyol, Pablo and Pernía at the back, myself, Xavi and Senna in midfield and Torres, Luis García and David Villa up front - and we have to have the same attitude. Everyone has been getting very excited about the 4-0 victory in our opening match and the euphoria back in Spain has been intense but within the squad we're calm and relaxed. We're very pleased with the result but we're trying to maintain a cool head, at the same time as hoping that we have helped to shed the fatalism that sometimes surrounds the national team. We're not even thinking about the teams that we could face in the knockout stages; right now we don’t have any preferences and we don’t want to take anything for granted, least of all our next opponents. Tunisia are a good side that use the ball well. They are compact and well organised, with a lot of pace up front. Having scored the opening goal early on, our first game against the Ukraine was surprisingly easy. But I don't expect Tunisia to be easy at all. June 15 Xabi Alonso - June, 15th 2006What a fantastic start. To win 4-0 against the Ukraine, who everyone expected to be the toughest opponents in our group, is superb. From what I have been told, that is the best result Spain have ever had in an opening match at the World Cup. It was wonderful to get off to such a good start - and to score the opening goal myself. We knew that the first goal would be vital and so to be 2-0 up after just over quarter of an hour put us in control of the match; we could see from that minute on that Ukraine were going to struggle and things turned out to be far more comfortable than I anticipated.
At first I wasn't sure whether I had got the final touch on the goal or if someone else had put the ball in. I'm delighted it was my goal but I didn’t care at the time: I was just pleased that we had put ourselves right on track. The goal gave us real confidence and also showed that the hard work we have put in with free kicks and corner routines has paid off. From then on we could play our game with less pressure. The conditions weren't ideal, but I thought we dealt with them well. It was very, very hot and the pitch - as we have seen in a lot of games - was extremely dry, which doesn't help the circulation of the ball. Personally, I find the heat very hard but when you win at least you are happy to suffer. There won't be any partying, getting over-excited, or even any special meals, though: we need to go step-by-step and not get carried away. Next up, Tunisia. What we have to do now is carry on where we have left off. Xabi Alonso - June, 15th 2006Being a footballer, you get used to killing time. In fact, you become a master of filling the dead time in hotels, travelling and waiting for games. The Spain squad is no different, especially as we had such a long wait for our opening game, but we have been able to make the most of the time. I've been chatting to team-mates who I don’t see during the bulk of the year because of being in England. Apart from that we play cards, watch films, read, surf the net, or play Trivial Pursuits. Well, we try anyway.
Of course the advantage a world cup has over being holed up with your club is that at least you have loads of games to watch and I have tried to see as many of them as possible. So far, I think we've seen a pretty even world cup but one that has had a lot of goals, which is great to see. As usual, there have been a few surprises - with Trinidad and Tobago holding Sweden, Ecuador beating Poland and Paraguay making life very difficult for England - but so far the big sides have had the better of it and I think it's shaping up to be a great world cup for the fans. June 14 Xabi Alonso - June, 14th 2006Our opening game against the Ukraine is a 3 o'clock in the afternoon. That might not sound like a big deal, but it has had important consequences for our preparation and an important impact on the players. It is a genuine issue for the players. For those of us who play in England - like myself, Luis García, José Antonio Reyes, and Cesc Fabregas - it is not such a big deal because we are used to kicking off at 3 o'clock, but for the bulk of the squad who play in La Liga it's a significant change. Even though there are officially some games at 5pm on a Sunday afternoon in La Liga, the reality is that the big clubs virtually never play at that time. Because of European commitments and television rights, the biggest clubs invariably play at 7, 8, 9 or even 10 o'clock at night and to bring the game forward to 3 with the heat and everything else that entails is genuinely hard. For me personally, playing in the heat is really tough; I much prefer to play when it's cooler. For the others it's more about the timetable. At 3, most people in Spain are either having a huge lunch or taking a siesta! Your body clock isn't used to playing football at that time and you have to adapt - which is what have had to do for the Ukraine game. We have changed our eating times, eating our main meal before noon, we have changed our sleeping time and we are training at 3. The preparation has been very good. Let's hope it pays off. Xabi Alonso - June, 14th 2006The wait for our opening game feels like an eternity, but is almost over at last. Playing the very last of that first bunch of games - our first match coincides with Germany's second - has left us itching to get started. I wouldn’t say it has increased the anxiety but having watched everyone else play, we desperately want to get our world cup underway against the Ukraine.
We have worked very hard and know all about the Ukraine. They a very strong side - physically very powerful, quick and strong on the break. They will sit deep and look for the chance to pounce. People have said they are Andriy Schevchenko and ten other guys, but I think that is very unfair. They are much more than that. Nonetheless, there's no doubt that he's their big star and the reference point up front. We know how dangerous he can be and we will have to be careful with him.
I expect us to have the bulk of possession, to carry the weight of the game; we then have to make sure we take advantage, but we have to do so without going mad. We won't go desperately searching for goals: it's very important that we keep a clean sheet. We will be going out there to win but we are conscious of the need to avoid defeat as well, so we will play with some caution, aware that we have 90 minutes to score; we won't panic if we carry the wait of the game and find ourselves at 0-0 still. It's important that we get off to a good start in Group H. June 07 Xabi Alonso - June, 7th 2006Football is my profession and beyond being footballers, we are people too - with different interests and hobbies. I try to get involved in things beyond the game; I try to show an interest in other things and there are many things I am curious about, that I want to know more about. I try to approach everything with an open mind - that's the way I've always been. When I came to England I was studying Economics and Business, but it's been hard to keep up and I have let that slip a bit since being in Liverpool. I am keen on other sports, too: I play padel, which is a kind of mini-tennis that's very popular in Spain, and being a footballer I suppose it's inevitable that I should play golf as well. Not that I'm much good, mind you: I think the ball controls me more than I control the ball. I play with my team-mates from time to time but I still find it very hard; I think I need a few more lessons. Quite a few. I haven't even got a handicap yet. I also like to spend time getting to know Liverpool and just taking in the city: I live right by the river Mersey and although it's a bit windy, I enjoy it a lot. The worst thing about Liverpool is that it tends to be dark by 3.30 in the afternoon but it's not like we have that much time to ourselves anyway, so those days I do get off tend to be spent relaxing and taking it easy, doing up the flat or taking a stroll and having a coffee with friends. I do drink tea but I'm still more of a coffee man; England hasn’t conquered me completely just yet. June 05 My end of year reportIt's not easy to keep up a challenge on three major fronts, plus the Carling Cup, the European Super Cup and the World Club Championships, and it has been a long season but I think we have made good progress at Liverpool.
The league: We did very well in the league. We were a single point behind Manchester United and nine behind Chelsea, which is an important improvement on last year, when we finished a long way off the pace. We're a more solid side, harder to beat and I think the future is bright. We finished the season with more points than the club has picked up since it last won the title and on an eleven-game winning run, so that shows that we are moving in the right direction. Unfortunately, it also shows how strong Chelsea are. People said they were struggling when they went through that sticky patch but their record is still fantastic and they have massive resources. But we're confident that we can push them next year.
The Champions League: After winning it last year we really thought we could go a long way this season and the Champions League was our big disappointment. We expected to get further than we did, but we got caught out in Lisbon. That was a really terrible blow for us.
The FA Cup: We're delighted to have won another trophy and to fulfil the objective of the club which is to win something every year. The fans really enjoyed it and I think we all saw how special the FA Cup is. It all started with that amazing win in Luton and then finished with a wonderful final in Cardiff, which was a really special occasion. Unlike in Spain, where the Copa del Rey is a far less important competition, the FA Cup final is the biggest game of the season in England. It's a competition with such a huge tradition and it was a great experience for the players. It was a special final too. I'll never forget it.
All in all, it's been a good season. Fingers crossed, Spain can top it off with a successful World Cup. May 26 Xabi Alonso - May, 26th 2006It was a real shame to have to come off during the FA Cup final but I am not worried about my participation in the World Cup. I had been injured in the run-up to the final, I had hardly trained that week, my ankle still wasn't 100% right, and the Cardiff pitch was not in great condition. Those factors all came together to force me to go off in the second half - I am just thankful that we got the result we needed in the end.
It has been a very long season and we have played far more games than would normally be the case because we had to qualify for the Champions League and because we went to Japan for the World Club Championship but I have had a week's break and I feel ok now that I am with the Spain squad in Las Rozas, just outside Madrid.
It was important to have a break between the end of the domestic season and joining up with the national team squad - psychologically as much as anything else. You need to be able to take the pressure off and change your mindset a bit. Being with the national team is different to being with your club; you have to spend two and half months living together and sharing every minute with each other, so it is a different kind of challenge and before that, it is vital you have a break to relax and clear your head. I spent a bit of time in San Sebastian with my mates and then went down to Córdoba for Pepe Reina's wedding, which was nice. I haven't had a complete break from sport, mind you - I've done a bit of running and even played some tennis, so there's no risk of me being unfit for the world cup! Xabi Alonso - May, 26th 2006To win the FA Cup the way we did was incredible; coming back from 2-0 and 3-2 down in the very last minute and then to take the trophy on penalties was amazing - especially after winning the European Cup in a very similar way last year. I can assure you that we don’t do it on purpose!
It was a hard, exciting final and as time ticked away, we thought it was all over. West Ham played superbly and were defending very well, while we weren't really creating many chances. Then Steven Gerrard produced that incredible shot. He was completely shattered, he had cramp, the ball was bouncing and he was 35 yards or more away from goal. I never expected him to even try shooting from there but he just hit the ball so well and it went like an absolute bullet. It was our last chance and it was a sensational goal, really incredible. I leapt off the bench and went absolutely mad - I could hardly believe it.
When we got to penalties, I thought we had a great chance to win it. We all trusted in Pepe. He had an excellent record from the spot in Spain and after almost every training session we stay behind and take penalties against him - and he tends to save more than he concedes. We had also reached the point when penalties were the best option: loads of our players were really struggling physically, people were going down all over the place, and we just knew we had to survive to the shoot-out. That made it seem even more epic somehow. It was an incredible final - one I am sure no one will forget in a hurry. |
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