David Alaba: “I decided I’d like to do something new & take another step forward.” | OneFootball

Speaking in an interview with Bayern Munich’s magazine ’51’, David Alaba discussed his 13 years at the Bundesliga side and his decision to leave the club at the end of the season.

“It’s always difficult when something comes to an end and it’s no secret that I’ve always really felt at home here,” said Alaba. “It wasn’t a decision against the club but I decided I’d like to do something new and take another step forward.

“To grow, you have to leave your ‘comfort zone’ and I deliberately put that word in quotation marks because it could possibly be misunderstood. At Bayern, the expectations on the pitch are always extreme from management, in the dressing room or from yourself. I think that perhaps you have to go into the unknown to be able to mature again.”

The Austria international will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, ending his 13 years at the club after joining as a 16-year-old: “There are days where I catch myself looking back at this special time here at Bayern. It’s just been fantastic over the years.”