Xabi Alonso says he is rooting for his former team mates tonight when Real Madrid take on Atletico de Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.
The 33-year-old spent five years at the Santiago Bernabeu before his switch to Bayern Munich last summer and told Canal Plus he still has a lot of friends in the Spanish capital and wants Real to progress to the semi-final of the competition.
The former Spain midfielder, who won the World Cup and European Championship with La Roja, was part of the Munich side that overcame a 3-1 first leg deficit against Porto on Tuesday night. Pep Guardiola’s side put in a devastating display and won 6-1 on the night and 7-4 overall.
Alonso is able to put his feet up tonight, and said he’d be keeping an eye on events in the Spanish capital.
“I’ll be rooting for Real Madrid in the derby and here’s hoping they go through. I want to wish them the best of luck for the game. I’ve got a lot of friends there. They are a club I have a great deal of affection for and everything I experienced with them is still very fresh,” he told reporters.
Alonso played a key role in helping his side get to last season’s final but had to sit out the showpiece event through suspension.
