After 399 days of absence, David Alaba is expected to return to football today.
The 32-year-old Austria international was a key part of Real Madrid’s defence as they won their 14th Champions League/European Cup title in 2022. After signing on a free transfer from Bayern Munich, he provided one of that campaign’s memorable images when he lifted a white chair in celebration after his side’s remarkable round-of-16 comeback against Paris Saint-Germain. That chair is now displayed in the club museum.
— David Alaba (@David_Alaba) March 9, 2022
But after those highs, Alaba experienced the lowest moment of his career on December 17, 2023, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee after challenging Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno in a La Liga match. . It was a risk-free encounter that ended with Alaba’s leg stuck in the ground.
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“My knee. . . ” Alaba said as he lay on the field. Luka Modric and Rodrygo put their hands on their heads when listening to their teammate. Jude Bellingham sighed and looked at the sky: goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and central defender Eder Militao had already suffered the same thing this season (Militao has recently been sidelined due to an anterior cruciate ligament).
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Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are a problem for footballers, although much is still unknown.
The Bernabéu remained silent.
Alaba has since undergone surgery twice, his return date has been pushed back and reports have even emerged suggesting he could quit the game altogether, something that has been denied in the player’s camp. He missed Madrid’s 15th Champions League and the Austrian Euro Cup in Germany, but remained a prominent figure on the club and national team bench.
“It is a very long and complicated process, not an easy year for me. . . I am very satisfied to be back in the team; “I missed him a lot,” Alaba told Real Madrid’s official channels this month.
The Athletic tells the inside story of what some sources close to the club consider the most complex of Madrid’s recent injuries. The people we spoke to for this piece asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships.
“This season is cursed. . . we’ll do it forever,” training staff resources told The Athletic following Alaba’s injury.
In the hours that followed, other doctors in Madrid and Innsbruck, Austria, assessed whether the defender needed surgery. In addition to the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, Alaba suffered damage to the cartilage in his knee, something that is not unusual in these cases.
The player underwent the operation under the supervision of Dr. Christian Fink, the Austrian national team doctor who had operated on the Bayern Munich players adding Niklas Sule, Leroy Sané and Javi Martinez, and moved on December 19 to Innsbruck for the operation with his close friend Philipp Koblischek. retired Austrian footballer, and Real Madrid physiotherapist Pedro Belón, one of the key people in the healing process.
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It was Belon who explained to Alaba the severity of the injury and was realistic with him about the recovery procedure and how long it might take to return to the pitch, from the operation to all the rehabilitation needed to be fit to play in the elite. it’s still sport. Other people warned Alaba that the injury is not that serious and that he could return to play sooner. Belon was so focused on Alaba’s recovery that he and another Madrid physio, Guillermo ‘Willy’ Zurdo, even accompanied the player on holiday to help him in his rehabilitation.
The first indications from the club and the player’s camp were that Alaba would return in October 2024. Madrid are always cautious with the timeframes they put on the recovery of injured players to avoid putting pressure on them, but this date was pushed back as Alaba’s recovery progressed.
During the first months, various sources close to Alaba say that he was isolated and sad. I didn’t need to communicate much about what was going on. He had never suffered an ACL injury before, but those around him were confident that he would pull through. Alaba is considered a strong personality, and the story is quoted that upon his arrival in Madrid he called the club’s legend Sergio Ramos to ask for his number 4 shirt. Ramos left the club while Alaba arrived from Bayern in the summer of 2021.
The Austrian’s endurance was tested in March 2024, when it began to look like there were any imaginable headaches surrounding his recovery. Club resources and voices inside the player’s field denied it at the time, saying that his fortnightly trips to Innsbruck were scheduled and that all was well.
Two months later, however, in May 2024, the player underwent another surgery — a minor arthroscopy, as The Athletic reported. Various people involved in the operation say this setback was due to Cyclops syndrome — a condition that can occur after knee surgery when a growth develops.
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A Madrid member said: “At his age, an injury like this in most cases can be the end for most sensible players because other headaches can arise that would make it difficult to do pain-free activities. “
Madrid’s medical service indicated during training that this new operation will not prolong Alaba’s recovery process. The club did not issue a statement.
But in the following months, Madrid staff began to have serious doubts as to whether Alaba could return to his previous level. According to those with knowledge of these cases, almost all players return to the pitch after an ACL injury but their “return to performance” rate — ie, whether they can still perform at their best — is much lower.
In May, the Austrian club and national team learned that he would not participate with his country in the European Championship. Austrian coach Ralf Rangnick gave Alaba the opportunity to participate in the tournament without playing any role and lead the team from the bench.
Something similar happened in last season’s Champions League semi-finals against Bayern Munich in May, when the defender cheered on his team-mates from the sidelines. After the Joselu-inspired comeback in the second leg at the Bernabeu to make it to the final at Wembley, Alaba once again performed his trademark chair celebration.
While those close to him say he found it strange to watch the games from the stands during the first months of his recovery, Alaba began to sense the vital role he could play for his teammates when he was not on duty. the earth.
This summer, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti asked the board for a centre-back to cover for injuries, Alaba. But after Madrid lost to Leny Yoro at Manchester United in July, the club did not take any concrete action.
The situation in defence was compounded by further ACL injuries at the start of the 2024-25 season. In August, promising academy centre-back Joan Martinez was sidelined with the injury, along with right-back Dani Carvajal in October and Militao (again) a month later.
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All of this means that even more attention has been paid to Alaba, whose return has been delayed, first to December and then to January. Doubts about his recovery even pointed to a possible early retirement.
In late September, the Austrian started working on the pitch. According to staff members, he could not run for 10 minutes continuously at this point because of the risk of his knee swelling. Those same sources say the pace of his sessions had to be increased very gradually while he built up his muscle strength.
Despite the complications, the player’s camp and Madrid staff played down the possibility of Alaba not returning to the game. On October 18, Ancelotti said: “He is recovering well and will soon be with the team, so for the moment we are not thinking of making any more signings.”
But internally, the team has complained about a lack of attention to injured players (18 of the team’s 22 members have been injured at some point this season).
Until then, only rehab coach Jose Parrales had helped returning players, so fitness coaches Giuseppe Bellistri and Sebastien Devillaz occasionally assisted.
In November, the club responded by promoting the academy’s physical preparation coordinator Ruben Cipriano to help with the final phase of Alaba’s recovery and work out the best way for the player to perform specific rehab exercises.
Alaba has become close to Cipriano and Belon and the resources say that he is very positive and in a good mood. This contrasts with other moments in the procedure in which Alaba appeared dejected at the Valdebebas educational camp in Madrid, which made it difficult for physiotherapists to work with him at times, even if it is considered general given his situation.
Voices at Valdebebas say Alaba often spent four to five hours a day working with the physios, on the pitch, in the gym, in the pool and again with the physios. Alaba made good friends with injured 20-year-old academy defender Jacobo Ramon, with the pair helping each other stay motivated. Those within Alaba’s camp say he also works with a personal fitness trainer at home.
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On November 7, Alaba began working with the ball again. A month later, he started working with the first-team group for part of a session and on December 30, he was involved in the team’s training session that was open to the public. He only took part in exercises where he would not collide with his team-mates and performed some running exercises with Cipriano, where fans showed their affection for Alaba.
In a January 2 press conference, Ancelotti said Alaba would be able to play again “around January 20”. Some on the board told The Athletic there would be no need for signings in January with Alaba’s return, adding that they expected him to be back to his best by March or April.
During the recovery process, however, some staff sources expressed their belief we might have to wait until the 2025-26 season to see Alaba back to his best. Other experts in these cases say that is the norm for ACL injuries, where the key is to return gradually.
In any case, the coaching staff is optimistic. They see Alaba as another type of defender (he is the only left center back on the team) who can be another leader in the locker room given his experience and influence. Ancelotti has shown his support for Alaba on several occasions.
Club members and his team see him as a smart user who can motivate other players. In recent months, part of his recovery was filmed through a production company.
Today’s La Liga match against Las Palmas at the Bernabéu will put an end to a complicated stage for Alaba, as Ancelotti confirmed in his press conference that he can play some minutes (but not from the start). His family will be there to see him.
And, despite interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, his camp says he is determined to succeed at Madrid, and even that he harbours a desire to extend his contract with the club, which runs out in 2026.
But that can wait. Alaba is simply enjoying the opportunity to play football again and taste more good luck with the club he has missed so much.
(Top photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)