Xabi Alonso says he always tried to give the ball to Mesut Ozil at Real Madrid as Arsenal star was perfect No10
XABI ALONSO claims he always tried to give the ball to Mesut Ozil at Real Madrid because the Arsenal star was the perfect No 10.
Alonso, manager of Real Sociedad’s B team, won the 2012 La Liga title alongside the German in Jose Mourinho’s superstar side.
The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria provided goals from wide positions, with Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain alternating up front.
However, Alonso pinpoints Ozil as the mastermind behind Real’s extraordinary season.
Mourinho’s Real Madrid finished on 100 points, nine ahead of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side – scoring an eye-watering 121 goals in the process.
Alonso was seen by many as crucial to the Special One’s efforts, but he insists Ozil made the side tick.
Alonso told The Coaches’ Voice: “Under Jose we used to play with two midfielders, myself and Sami Khedira. Sami has a lot of energy, he will make a lot of runs.
“And Mesut between the lines, he was the perfect player because he wanted to be in the hole and that’s the toughest position to play.
“There’s no space, all the defence tries to squeeze, but I always tried to look for him to find a pass because with the touch he had, the controls he used to do.
“With a good control he was attacking the last line and we had a very good connection with Cristiano
“He used to play on the left, Di Maria on the right, and Cristiano made everything very easy.
Latest Arsenal news
“I’d find him and he used to do his own individual thing.
“In Madrid our style was very quick transitions, not that much elaboration, it was more attacking with quick actions.
"We scored so many goals, they came from nothing almost.”