Alaba: Ancelotti's raised eyebrow far from dangerous

David Alaba, 24, is currently considered to be the best left back. After a rather disappointing Euro 2016 campaign, the Austrian international is looking forward to getting back to playing for his club Bayern Munich.

"We've got a lot of goals under our new coach Carlo Ancelotti," Alaba said in a recent Xinhua interview.

Talking about his upbringing in a family of musicians and his great passion for football, Alaba said, "Football is my music."

Following is the full text of the interview.

Xinhua: We are surprised to see you here?

Alaba: (laughing) Why, I work here?

Xinhua: The Euro 2016 tournament has just finished.

Alaba: I've had three weeks of holiday and feel well. My energy is back. I went to my hometown Vienna to see family and friends.

Xinhua: It can't be easy to play a major tournament like that after a long season and start the next challenge right away, meaning the new season with a new coach.

Alaba: For me it was a new experience. I had never previously played a major tournament after a season. It felt like you ran out of fuel in the end. It was a new challenge for body and mind. It was totally different to all the years before and it took a while to recover. But I tell you what: I'm looking forward to many more such situations in the future.

Xinhua: How hard was the time after you and the Austrian team were eliminated?

Alaba: It was not easy to leave it behind. It took some days to get over it. But now I'm focused on the future. I tried not to think too much about it. I tried to concentrate on Bayern and our new coach Carlo Ancelotti. We have a lot of goals for this season.

Xinhua: Talking about your new coach: Some say it can be dangerous to talk to him as soon as he starts raising his left eye brow?

Alaba: (laughing) I've heard about it and I think he was asked about it. I can tell you he is far from dangerous, at least when his left eyebrow is twitching. But let us wait and talk about it again after some more weeks.

Xinhua: So how was it with the new coach around?

Alaba: Oh it was great. I had good training sessions and the feeling I'm back mentally and physically. We all had a good week with our new coach. A restart like that is a good feeling and we have a good feeling generally with him.

Xinhua: Are there any differences in Pep Guardiola's and Carlo Ancelotti's training sessions and methods?

Alaba: We're doing a lot of different things. It's no surprise when coaches change, but I can't give any more details (laughing) - we want to surprise our opponents. Just kidding, but after a week you can only talk about minor differences.

Xinhua: One example please?

Alaba: (looks around) One example, no one else is around. Carlo Ancelotti maybe is in closer contact to the players. He might be a coach who talks more to the players. But there is still a special atmosphere at our club at the moment as many are still on vacation after Euro 2016.

Xinhua: You mentioned your family. Your sister is a singer, your father a musician - didn't they want you to start a career as a musician too instead of football?

Alaba: Not at all, they knew from the very beginning that I loved football. Well you could say football is my music. My parents and my sister always respect it. I watched my dad on stage and I was proud. It was motivation for me to follow my passion with all I had. So in that way he helped me a lot to develop my career as a footballer.

Xinhua: But you love music too?

Alaba: I share the passion of my parents and my sister regarding music. You can be a professional footballer and at the same time have a love of music.

Xinhua: What is your favorite music style?

Alaba: English speaking RnB and Hip-Hop.

Xinhua: You mentioned you spent your holidays back home in Vienna. You are said to be a family guy. What about other old friends you played football together with when you were young?

Alaba: Vienna is my hometown and I started to play football at an early age long before I joined a club at the age of 10. Vienna, my family and my old friends will always be my base for my life. So of course I still have close contact to childhood friends. That's important for me. They are part of my life.

Xinhua: Did any of them make it into professional football?

Alaba: No, not really, but they are all great characters.

Xinhua: The number on your shirt is 27. Is there a special reason for that number?

Alaba: It's now a vital part of the David Alaba brand. Seven is my favorite number. When I made it into the senior team in Munich, I knew number seven was Franck Ribery's and Marc van Bommel was No. 17 so it was 27 for me. (laughing) So I've still got a 7 on my back.

Xinhua: As you mention Franck Ribery, it comes to our minds that he's another close friend of yours in Bayern's team. Is that true?

Alaba: Sure is. I was 16 or so and went to the pros' locker room for the first time. Franck was sitting there and said to me: Come on, take a seat next to me and use the locker next to mine. That's how our friendship started. I was tremendously proud that a world class player like him said something like that to me. It was something special to me. Since then he was always a companion of great value, he always tried to help me on and off the pitch.

Xinhua: He's also a funny guy who loves to make jokes, just like you do.

Alaba: He's a funny guy with a lot of special humor. I like that very much and it helped me to be like that sometimes. It is important not to take everything that serious.

Xinhua: What are your thoughts about Mario Goetze and his rejoining Borussia Dortmund after three years in Munich?

Alaba: He's one of my closest friends in the team. I have known him for many years, and we played together in the youth national teams. We often played against each other. We have intensive contact in our private lives.

Xinhua: What does it mean for him going back to Dortmund? It looked like as if he did not make it in Munich despite playing many good games.

Alaba: In the first place he had some problems with injuries and then he never played badly for Bayern Munich. But it makes him hard to be consistent. He was an important player for us. I keep my fingers crossed for him in Dortmund.

Xinhua: Borussia Dortmund has made a lot of important changes to its squad in the last weeks. Do you still regard them as Bayern Munich's closest rival?

Alaba: Despite the changes Dortmund will be one of our closest rivals. They have proved in the last years that they can deal with a lot of problems and they have always managed to build up a very good team. With their many fans behind they will be a rival we have to watch intensively.

Xinhua: You recently extended your contract in Munich until 2020. According to rumors some other clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United wanted to sign you. Was it hard to resist other offers?

Alaba: I play for one of the best clubs on earth already, so there was nothing hard regarding that decision. I've been here since 2008 and feel well. I feel very much like a vital part of the team.

Xinhua: How important are games like the pre-season friendly against Manchester City despite the fact that in both teams many players were still missing after international duty?

Alaba: Games like this are extremely important for every player. They help you on your way back after a break. There is nothing that can beat a competitive game. You make your first steps back on the road to top form no matter who is on the pitch or who is still missing. If the ones that already started training are in good shape, it in the end helps the ones that join the team later.

Xinhua: So Bayern Munich's US tour from next Monday on will help as well? After all the big teams you meet like AC Milan, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

Alaba: To play against such opponents in cities like Chicago, Charlotte and New York is something special. It will be a special challenge we are all looking forward to.

Xinhua: So you like trips like that during the pre-season build-up?

Alaba: Last year we went to China. It was a very special experience which was of great value for the team. This time we will see our fans in the US. I'm a fan of going on tours like the one we're about to do. I like to travel together. I've often gone on vacation to America. So you could call it a special relationship.

Xinhua: Talking about outstanding football teams leads us to outstanding footballers. Millions of football fans are discussing one question: Who is the world's best player? Ronaldo or Messi, what do you think?

Alaba: I like both. They are both outstanding footballers. Cristiano Ronaldo works especially hard on his game, maybe more than anyone else. And Lionel Messi? Well, looking at what he does on the pitch with opponents and the ball leads you to the conclusion he can't be a human being. So it is a tie for me. Endit