“David Alaba is like a black Beckenbauer to me.” Never, in the memory of a German journalist, Bayern Munich boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has praised a player so much: the Austrian rear, very committed against racism, has acquired a new sporting and extra-sporting dimension this season.
The converted central-back side-defender, who will try to contain Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and the other stars of PSG on Sunday in the Champions League final (9:00 p.m.), is becoming at 28 an icon in Germany.
“He is the first player to play at this level since Franz (Beckenbauer), who takes in hand this” scepter “of leader from the back lines, enthusiastic recently Rummenigge, who saw him arrive in Munich at the age aged 16, unearthed at Austria Vienna.
“His personality has blossomed, continues the Bayern boss, in these times of + Black Lives Matter +, he is also lucky to be able to play a special role, because of his skin color.”
Born in the Austrian capital, son of famous Nigerian musician George Alaba and a Filipino mother, David Alaba was among the first to speak publicly after the death at the end of May of George Floyd, an African-American killed by a police officer in United States.
– “Racism is everywhere” –
“I have been confronted with racism constantly in my life, in my youth, in my childhood, even today”, he testified. “The question of racism is unfortunately omnipresent in my life (…) the N word (nigger, editor’s note) was constantly thrown at me, it was nothing exceptional.”
Today, by virtue of his status, he admits to escaping these attacks, but his friends are still victims: “When I hear what they tell me, I sometimes say to myself: + Is nothing wrong? So changed? + Seeing my black brothers and sisters suffer so much makes me sad and breaks my heart.
Suffering which also forged his character and made him the leader he has become.
This season, he has turned a corner, in large part thanks to the circumstances. Long installed on the side, former accomplice of Franck Ribéry on the left flank, he had to reinvent himself centrally in November, after the injuries of the two holders Niklas Süle and Lucas Hernandez.
In a few matches, this athlete of only 1.80 m but very strong of the head has further widened his palette, to become the undisputed boss of the defense: “His development in this position is remarkable. He leads the team and gives orders, “noted his trainer Hansi Flick in the spring.
– Guardiola had predicted … –
And while the Austrian is currently playing a game of poker with his leaders, hinting that he could leave Bayern after the Lisbon final, Flick was very clear: “I will invest myself, with all my weight, so that he and Thiago (also starting possible) stay with us, “he promised.
Because Alaba has also become one of the coach’s relays in the locker room. “I talk a lot with young people”, he explains, “they often come to see me and ask me questions, I try to show them the right way”.
Alphonso Davies, the revelation of the season, said that Alaba had given him valuable advice to progress to his left-back position.
Before Flick, another legendary coach, Pep Guardiola, had already seen the potential of this versatile player, midfielder with the Austrian selection: “He can play anywhere, he is fast, good in the recovery and always 100% focused. He can undoubtedly become one of the best center-backs in the world, “predicted the Catalan, who had tested him in this position when he coached the” Rekordmeister “(2013-2016).
Beckenbauer, in the 20th century, lifted the C1 trophy three times. Alaba won it in 2013. Sunday, if he silenced the stars of PSG, he will only be one step away from the “Kaiser”.
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