Alaba joins Udinese

ROME - AFP - Italian football club Udinese has reignited the career of Austrian international defender David Alaba, who had been without a club since leaving Spanish side Real Madrid last July, signing a one-year contract with the club.

The club stated in a statement: "Udinese is proud to announce the signing of David Alaba, one of the most prominent and decorated footballers on the international stage. The Austrian defender has signed a contract that will keep him with the Bianconeri until June 30, 2027."

Alaba (34) was quoted in the statement as saying: "I certainly did not come here to end my career. I still strongly aspire to that, and I firmly believe in my abilities on the pitch. I want to continue putting in the effort, delivering my best performance in the Italian league week after week, and achieving success."

With Alaba's arrival, Udinese gains the services of an experienced center-back, the captain of the Austrian national team at the recent World Cup, who has represented his country in 117 international matches, scoring 15 goals.

Alaba, a graduate of the Austria Vienna youth academy, spent most of his football career with Bayern Munich, where he won ten German league titles and two UEFA Champions League titles (2013 and 2020) between 2011 and 2021. He then donned the Real Madrid shirt between 2021 and 2026, adding two Spanish league titles and two more UEFA Champions League titles (2022 and 2024) to his impressive record.

Udinese currently sits in 13th place in the league with 4 points from a single win after five rounds of the new season, having conceded 11 goals, making them the fourth-weakest defense in the Italian league.