7 Sept 2012

Midfielder admits: Ex-Red is 'still in love with LFC'. Bring him back...?

In his first interview as a Liverpool player, Nuri Sahin revealed that Xabi Alonso played a big part in persuading him to come to Anfield. The Turk also revealed that the Spaniard still loves the Reds, and with his contract at Madrid expiring next year, could a return to Liverpool be on the cards?

Speaking to the official LFC site, Sahin - who made his debut in the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal last Sunday - said:

"Xabi said just good things [about Liverpool]. He played a long time here, and he is still in love with Liverpool Football Club. Everything Xabi have told me is true. It’s a very big club with a big history. I think I have made the right choice"

Alonso is definitely open to a return, as he revealed in an interview last summer:

"I think that in football so many things change. I have my red passion and if circumstances arrived [for a return to Liverpool], then why not? I miss lots of things. I miss the lads, I miss the atmosphere at Melwood - it was a great place to work, and the scenario of Anfield is unbeatable.

"The special nights I have been privileged enough to live, those will be in my memory forever and they are difficult to compare anywhere in the world. At the moment I don't know what is going to happen, but it could be a possibility. Never say never"


In the same interview, Alonso also revealed that his biggest goal at Real Madrid was to win the La Liga title. He has now achieved that, which means he's won every major trophy out there. What better time to return to the club he loves so much, to work with a manager he respects? Said Alonso:

"I think that everyone is really optimistic about the new manager Brendan Rodgers. As a Liverpool fan it gives me hope for the future"

Alonso's contract with Real Madrid expires next summer, and he's reportedly set to turn down the offer of a two-year contract extension. If ever there was a player who would fit into Rodgers' football philosophy, it's Alonso.

Jamie Carragher also misses Alonso's presence at Anfield. He told the ITV during Euro 2012:

"It just sickens me to see Alonso in the red of Spain and not the red of Liverpool. We'd love to have him back - he was a fantastic player at our club, and he's one of the top players at Euro 2012."

The question is, would FSG sanction a move for the Spaniard, who will be 31 next summer?



Jaimie Kanwar


55 comments:

  1. When does his contract expire? We can always try and get him on a free if it will expire soon. To be honest, that appears the only way FSG will sanction a move and given our midfield, I would agree with FSG if they stuck with their policy. His experience will always be an asset for our younger players, but his salary might prove to be too expensive and we must not forget the possible lure of Real Sociedad.

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  2. He is a KOP icon. Gotta love him...#Respect.

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  3. BRING HIM HOME
    YNWA XABI

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  4. I would alonso,sahin,Allen in midfield wow!:)

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  5. I imagine he would be seeking a final paycheck in the MLS or China rather than come back to a rebuilding LFC if he were to leave Real; as much as I love him, he wouldn't really fit into our long term plans. Besides, if he wants to play for Spain in 2014, he would have a better chance of that by staying in La Liga.

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  6. Oh Happy Days Tra La La!

    If John Henry wants to do something that will be almost universally popular he will move heaven and earth to bring Xabi back to the fans at Anfield and unite him again with the playing staff here. Not only is he a tremendous player he is a thoroughly good man. He should never have been allowed to leave whilst he was still fit to walk never mind play.

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  7. As much as we would like to have him back, the reality is that he would displace a younger player.
    I want Allen, Lucas,Shelvey,Sahin to be the FUTURE not harp backwards.
    This is nostalgia nothing more, if we had kept Xabi,Torres,Mascherano, we would be in the Champions league and we would be challenging for the Premier League ...but we're not TIME TO MOVE ON

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  8. reina in part ex sounds good to me !!

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  9. Would love Xabi back, especially we didn't make the Sahin move permanent. But I guess wages and his age could be a stumbling block.

    Way off topic but what a lovely goal from Yesil the other day against England.

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  10. gareth barry and benitez enough said . is rafa still on jobseekers ??

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  11. Thats a massive compliment for the club from a man whos been successful at Real Madrid!

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  12. I love Xabi as a football player, surely my favourite Liverpool player in the last ten years, but, do we really need him? Let's see what young Allen can do for us. Midfield is not exactly a position where we are short of options.

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  13. Your last two lines say it all! Would love Xabi to slot into his old position for 2 or 3 seasons. What's wrong with being in the Champions League or a bit of nostalgia for one of our GREATS!?
    Much better to go into reverse than drive into the bog.

    Your comment reminds me of the oft mentioned religious poster stuck on the wall close to Anfield which said; "What will ye do when the Lord cometh?" and some wag wrote the answer with a felt tip pen - "Move St John to inside right!"

    I guess we will always find room for the King.

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  14. This is old news. Been discussed before by ordinary fans on many forums. Good to see LFC KOP is finally catching up. It was and still is a story about nothing.

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  15. This was my little conspiracy theory concerning the relatively high fee that we're paying for Sahin. We give him a year of football to let Mourinho see what he can really do without it having any impact on Madrid's title race. At the end of it we are either given the inside edge of signing him (if Madrid decide that he won't reach the standard they want) or Xabi heads back our way.

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  16. kenwar your a dictator why am i banned from posting [carr71]when other people who have been racist are still posting is it because they agree with you i would like to know

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  17. IF we got Xabi, I think it would mean that Sahin was not joining us. If anything I believe he'd put pressure on Gerrard. He's also an incredibly good player who would have a positive effect, not only on the field but on the training pitch as well.

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  18. waiting jaimie for your reply ive made no racist comments or used bad language yet you have banned my posts want to know why if you let me post again i promise to kiss your butt then i will be allowed to post what i want you are the lowest of the low your perfetic you think your god but your just a lowlife who has a website that the fans make interesting iwould like a email to explain the reasoning for my ban carr71

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  19. Jose Mourinho wants to keep Xabi Alonso until 2016 not only for his amazing talent so that he can teach his future replacements,Sahin and Granero. But Brendan Rogers passing philosophy suits Alonso whose professionalism and reliability players like Allen, Sterling, Morgan could learn from. Xabi would be of more benefit now to Liverpool as the club rebuilds.

    Xabi has won the World Cup and European Cups, La Liga so his targets were met. Premier League title eludes him. David Silva, Fernando Torres,now Santi Cazorla show if you play in England you are selected for Spain. Del Bosque is now open to the Premiership. The 52% income tax hike in Spain and the rate in England concern players. That may stop him resigning for Madrid. Negotiating a deal with that in mind is now possible for Liverpool and Alonso. Or he could go to Italy or elsewhere if it's purely about money.

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  20. Brad that scenario is not unlikely. In football anything is possible. Alonso is respected by Mourinho. Mourinho could appreciate his love for Liverpool if it is sincere. Though he wants to keep him,if Alonso he decides to move Mourinho while not accepting of it would be understandable. Speculation of course.

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  21. Of all the baffling player assessments ever made, past or present, by a manager and football club Benitez and Liverpool's comparison of Gareth Barry to Xabier Alonso has to be the most outrageous. I think even Barry if he would admit that. Not the sale itself per say. Alonso's departure exposed Gerrard's failings as a midfielder. The midfield even with Mascherano and Lucas lost cohesion, declined. When Xabi arrived at Madrid he gave the midfield stability it lacked after Makelele.

    Alonso is the unseen link between the defenders, other midfielders, and forwards. He is the same for Spain even with Iniesta, Xavi, Silva, Busquets, Cazorla. De Jong and Pepe could testify to that.

    "Without Xavi, Alonso, Casillas there would be no treble" Vicente Del Bosque

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  22. We cant afford him. I thought the last few weeks would have shown that.

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  23. Oh give it a rest. Yes we miss him. But, chexk the team sheet for the utd game we won 4-1. Alonso wasnt playing. It wasnt solely down to losing Alonso why we played so badly the season he left. That and a combination of critical injuries and dressing room unrest contributed to our poor position. The irony of it all is. I bet most pool fans would take that 7 th place this season and count it as a sucess. Well done Rafa haters. This is what you wished for.

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  24. I love my ex girlfriend, but I don´t want here bake in my life, the bit.h was crazy... like liverpool are right now with all the sh.t is happening in the club.... this great player ( alonso ) lift this club because the people how were running the club were crazy....and the people how running right now don´t know sh.t they are experimenting this club and they don´t care about non.

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  25. Totally agree with you. I was really disappointed when he left. He was outstanding for us then and still is for Real Madrid. One of my favourite player. But, its time to move on. We shouldn't be hoping to bring back all these players. Otherwise, LFC would be a club of all late 20s to 30s players. Besides, I don't think FSG would sanction it. We are suppose to be building for the future with a mixture of experienced and young potential players.

    Not fair to the current crop of players and also the younger players who wants to step up into the 1st team. Lets move on.

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  26. would love to see him back. once he left our downfall began. when he was around most of the credit used to go to Gerrard (we were even labelled a one man team), but we can see how important (if not the most important) of a player he was to us.

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  27. Agree FSG would never sanction. Paying Xavi a Huge salary
    at his age is not the way to go

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  28. Footballers like Xabi would have earned enough money in their career by now so I don't think he will be motivated by money....I genuinely think his love for the club would be enough for FSG to offer fair wages. It really does sound like he would jump ship at a drop of a hat...he's has said it enough times to friends, colleagues and the media.

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  29. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Liverpool-FC-Table-Football-/261092496738?pt=UK_Toys_Games_Games&hash=item3cca535562#ht_500wt_922

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  30. bla bla bla bla.. sign him? bla bla bla bla sign him? bla bla bla bla sign him? dont you thnk you should change the way you write your titles? coz it sounds so childish!lol and for all the many times you've written such titles am afraid to say so, but i dont think liverpool have managed to sign any of these players!

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  31. Shock, horror, mediocre Liverpool side turns up and beats Manure. We'll probably beat them this season as well as other big teams yet go on to put in crappy lifeless performances against the likes of Norwich and Reading.


    Means bugger all these days in the long term for us, beating the big teams these days for me as I just know we will put in some wishy washy performance against the weaker sides, so not a great example to use in your point.

    Big whoopi-doo, we beat a big team, yay, we little Liverpool should be ecstatic(!) This turning up against big sides and can't be arsed attitude against the so-called weaker sides is a illustration of the weak and mediocre mentality that has rotted this club for years. A mentality that Rafa and the other managers have played a part in.

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  32. How you know???? He said he might he doesn't know,he don't want to sit on the bench... Do you think he will get infront of modic,ozil,khardira,kaka, at real? If we do buy him it have a buy back clause

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  33. ohh xabi we all miss u

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  34. i go on me knees now 2 make it happen and cry if it happens...ynwa

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  35. What was mediocre about that team sheet that game? It was a strong squad? Oh and the season we thumped then 4-1 we came 2nd. But, you knew that already right? Do your homework before launching into rants you know little about.

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  36. 1st he doesnt fit with fsgs skinflint policy of value for money. 2nd the owners have conceded we are a mid table team. 3rd we will prob scrapping about mid table be the time he leaves madrid. Not even the most blinkered of fans could see him joining that. 4th our fans are stupid. 5th we cant afford his wages. If people really believe he would come back on less money scrapping about for a europa place you are sadly mistaken. What on earth has happened to our fan base. I used to cinsider our fans pretty cultured when it come to football. Not arrogantly thinking we know it all. But, cultured. What ive witnessed in the last few years has made me wonder if this once great giant of a club will ever recover.

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  37. Alonso only had one excellent season, the last one. Before that he was distinctly average and in so many games when he wasn't interested he was the weak link. Yes his last season was superb, but only after Benitez gave him a kick up the arse and told him he was selling him. If Alonso had performed half as good in his previous seasons as he did in his last then maybe he would never have been considered surplus to requirements by Benitez in the first place.

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  38. In terms of money, the concern about Xabi's wages is fair but Mikel Arteta of Arsenal at 30yrs old is paid approximately the same if not more than Alonso now by financially conservative Wenger and Arsenal. Arteta was recently named Vice Captain by the club. Xabi has sincere integrity and pride.A true romantic that loves the game. His sponsorship deals indicate he has business savvy, so do not rule out a coaching or advisory capacity since he has the knowledge to offer.

    Romantically,Real Sociedad, his hometown club, he captained to 2nd place in La Liga 2002-2003 and where his father won 2 La Liga titles. Sociedad is back in La Liga but struggling. He may try there again.

    The You'll Never Walk Alone (YNWA) sign displayed in his home in Spain highlighted by Xabi when he does Spanish commercials prove his fondness and fidelity. But Liverpool is in flux and chaotic.To come now is a massive risk for him and his family. If Alonso stays healthy like Scholes at 38 he could play, class is permanent. If he wanted a big payday his options: Russia, MLS, Saudi Arabia, Rich EPL clubs,China, Africa, Australia, Italy,Ukraine, Scandinavia, Scotland, France,South America.

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  39. To those who say Xabier Alonso had one good season at Liverpool his last. My reply: Xabi would not have been offered a 5 year contract by Benitez and Liverpool in 2007 if his last season, in 2009, was his best and only one there. Simple.

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  40. Do what you preach, do your homework before coming over on your high horse and comically misunderstanding my criticism of your use of the 4-1. What makes it more amusing is your pop at the arrogance of others. I never mentioned anything about the mediocrity of the team/squad, I mentioned the mediocrity of the mentality that has rotted the club for years. Big difference but hey, you knew that already right(!) Pfft.


    Secondly and more importantly, my comment was a general criticism about the mentality of the club over the years, not just that precious season. It was a general point criticizing the boasting and the use of big wins against big sides as some sort of conclusive positive point. Your silly latest riposte does nothing to stop that point from validly standing, as that fluke season apart, its the usual turn up against the big sides and can't be arsed attitude against the weaker teams most of the time in the 90s and 00s, which has resulted in a forgettable last two decades in the league. One or even two or three seasons alone isn't enough, nowhere near to challenge what has gone on for most of the last two decades.


    One swallow does not a summer make.

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  41. Fair point as it relates to the league.

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  42. Your first post suggested you were arrogant. Your second reinforces that. Handy your original post has dissapeared.

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  43. JK, why are my comments being held for moderation? Im never rude to people unless im provoked. Even then, i dont use foul language.

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  44. PS dont you think the reason we find it easier playing the bigger teams is down to space and wanting to give it a go. As opposed to the so called lesser teams who will quite happily park the proverbial bus in front of goal.

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  45. You don't seem to have grasped my initial jibe about the arrogance from you. To put it simply, you lecture in a another post in this thread I think about how Liverpool fans have become arrogant, yet the way you acted in your initial reply to me smells of arrogance. I'm not the one that preaches against arrogance, that is you. Yet you write with arrogance, in my view. That is why I brought up the arrogance point I am merely criticizing the hypocrisy over arrogance from the likes of you. I couldn't give a monkeys if you or I were arrogant, its a fine line between being arrogant and being confident (which you may think you are instead of arrogant, thats your opinion), but I don't like the hypocrisy over it. I generally dislike hypocrisy as well as stupid childish comments about sticking dictionaries up your nose, etc, as I'll leave that sort of distasteful behavior (no need to act like a idiot, its a forum, relax) to the likes of you.

    As for the rest of your post as well as the one below, it is subjective in terms of perception (just like mine is)and its your view, which is fair enough. I don't agree with most of it, if not all but, I'd rather not prolonged this as it has been or is a soured debate. So I'll leave it there, in a state of detente I hope, and say no more on this, even if you reply as I couldn't care less anymore as its boring. Cheerio.

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  46. Arrogance from me? Attacking people then playing the victim is pretty juvenile. Grow up. This is a public forum. I gave plenty of points as to why i postex what i did. Maybe your view of me not getting your jibe. Is down to one simple reason. I wasnt attempting to be arrogant. I gave plenty of points for what i posted. Instead of debating these you spent a large proportion lecturing me. I think you need to take a look at yourself and your over inflated ego.

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  47. Meh. Rather move on but a class act.

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  48. Hilarious. Your both at the same thing and if anything, your first reply (barely had any points and simply misread what you were replying to, which made it worse) was the first personal attack between the pair and now you got the cheek to play the old 'you attacked and then play victim' on someone else card. Hilarious. You've misinterpreted it things initially and still doing it (funny, the way keep doing it. Like a Chuckle brother. Bless.), than get aggressive and now playing cover up like a ninny. Just makes it worse. Move on!



    You both got big egos, both come across as arrogant or confident or whatever you want to call label it. Just shut up the pair of you and move on. It is so boring. OC your better than the level this guy is doing things at.

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  49. Wow, what a surprise. Whats your real id Jenny? Ha ha ha. Ive really put a few noses out of joint havnt i? The very thing your mocking me for is the entire content of your post. Tell you what. How about you mind your own business. Love the way you had the reply option removed. My original post was a debunk of the guys

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  50. Removing the reply option? Eh, would genuinely love to know how that to do that as it would help with unsavoury characters such as yourself. Give me too much credit there, not exactly IT savvy me to make reply option disapper. Don't know what your 'diarrhearing' about with real id rubbish (feel free to check my ip address against to whatever superhero you think I am(!)) . Mind my own business? Oh sorry, didn't realise this thread was just for you(!) There is that infamous and hypocritical arrogance on display again from you, as highlighted by your partner in crime OriginalChan. The arrogance, the paranoia, the naivety, etc, suggests you should look in the mirror for who needs to grow up. You have done bugger all to debunk Originalchan's comments to you, which is the part of the thread I was replying to. Great comment from you, made a great spectacle of yourself(!)

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  51. Then he had the audacity to have a go for being childish when he starts his post with 'whoop di doop'. Well done jen. Youve just shown your no better than the rest of us so callwd juveniles. Hahahahah

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  52. Can everyone on this particualr thread cut out the tit-for-tat bickering please. Thanks.




    Sent from Samsung Galaxy Note

    -------- Original message --------
    Subject: [liverpoolkop] Re: Midfielder admits: Ex-Red "still in love with LFC" - Return to Anfield...? | Liverpool-Kop.com

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