RismadarVoice Reporters
September 24, 2026
Former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich defender David Alaba has explained his decision to join Italian Serie A side, Udinese, insisting that his move to the club is driven by a desire to continue competing at the highest level.
The 34-year-old Austria international joined Udinese as a free agent following his departure from Real Madrid and has signed a contract that will keep him at the Italian club until the end of the season.
Alaba, a four-time UEFA Champions League winner, said he remains determined to compete for honours and dismissed suggestions that the move represented an attempt to wind down his playing career.
“I’ve had so many experiences and won so much throughout my career, but one thing hasn’t changed: I want to win again,” Alaba said in a statement released by Udinese on Thursday.
“I want to compete again and achieve something special once more. That is the mindset I’m bringing to Udinese.”
Alaba had been without a club since leaving Real Madrid during the close season. His latest competitive international appearance came as captain of Austria at the World Cup, where his side were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the round of 32.
The experienced defender enjoyed a highly successful spell at Bayern Munich before moving to Real Madrid, winning two Champions League titles with each club.
Despite his extensive collection of major honours, Alaba said he remains motivated to perform at the highest level and believes he can make an impact in Italian football.
“I certainly haven’t come to wind down my career. I’m still too ambitious for that, and I still strongly believe in what I can do on the pitch,” he said.
The Austrian international said he was looking forward to testing himself in Serie A and contributing to Udinese’s objectives for the season.
“I want to keep pushing, perform at the highest level in Serie A week in and week out, and achieve something meaningful,” Alaba said.
“I’m really excited about this challenge, and I still have a lot to prove to myself.”
Alaba arrives with considerable experience at both club and international levels, having earned 117 appearances for Austria and scored 15 goals.
His arrival is expected to strengthen an Udinese side that has collected four points from its opening five Serie A matches as the club seeks to build on its 10th-place finish in the previous campaign.
