UCL: Alaba praises Guardiola for lifting him to next level in football

Nigeria born David Alaba has praised Pep Guardiola's influence as the Real Madrid defender prepares to face Liverpool after reaching the Champions League final at the Manchester City manager's expense.

Guardiola inherited 21-year-old Alaba when he took over at Bayern Munich in 2013, helping him to make successive Champions League and Bundesliga teams of the year during a period when the Austria talisman says he was 'lifted to the next level.'

Alaba told The Athletic: 'I experienced football differently under him; he showed me a side of football I hadn't really seen before.

Guardiola called Alaba an 'unbelievable talent' and predicted that he would become one of the world's best defenders as the pair won three Bundesliga titles among a haul of eight trophies before the manager joined City.

'I was always quite flexible as a player but Pep lifted me to the next level,' said Alaba, who won two Champions League trophies at Bayern either side of Guardiola's tenure.

'Thanks to him, I developed the ability to play different positions during the same match. Sometimes, I played three different positions in the same match.'

Eight-time Austrian Footballer of the Year Alaba left Bayern after 11 years with the senior squad when he moved to Madrid in 2021.

One of the most dramatic nights of his spell in Spain so far came when he helped Madrid oust visitors City from the Champions League in extra time in the semi-finals.

Speaking about Bernabeu boss Carlo Ancelotti, who was also his manager at Bayern during the 2016-17 season, Alaba said: 'He's played a huge role in us making it to the Champions League final and winning LaLiga.

'It's no coincidence he's the only manager who's won the championship in the top five leagues.

'He's got huge experience. He knows how success works. He's seen it all. And there's also a very human side to him.

'He's a father figure for us. A friend. He's very approachable. He knows how to handle players.

'He creates a very good atmosphere inside the dressing room. That's really important – especially at a club like this.'