Former Real Madrid right back Michel Salgado he questioned the club’s decision to sell Xabi Alonso in the summer.
The veteran midfielder left the club in a 10-million-euro switch to Bayern Munich having played a key role in Real’s success in both the Copa del Rey and Champions League last season.
Since signing for the Bavarian outfit, Alonso has taken the Bundesliga by storm and settled into the heart of midfield in Pep Guardiola’s side. And Salgado believes Alonso was the one player who was impossible to replace in Ancelotti’s side.
Talking to journalists, he said: “After Claude Makelele left we had massive problems replacing him and we struggled. And I think it’s the same with Xabi Alonso. He is the one player who is almost impossible to replace. He kept the right balance in the side. He hassled for the ball and could play from the deep positions. And even though Toni Kroos is a great player he is not perfect for that role as he likes to play much further forward.”
Salgado, who spent a decade at the Santiago Bernabeu and is one of the all time greats, went on to add that he has confidence in the side’s ability to continue to win silverware and that the team is getter better as the weeks go by.
“You can see that the balance isn’t quite there but the side is improving each week,” Salgado added. “[Karim] Benzema is just a special talent and what can you say about Ronaldo. There is no doubt he is the best player in the world.”
