Journalist surprises Alonso with childhood photos
Xabi Alonso's eyes immediately began to light up and he could still remember every detail. "It was a very nice memory. I was in Gothenburg with my team Antiguoko to take part in the Gothia Cup," said the Bayer 04 Leverkusen soccer coach after a Swedish journalist surprised him with photos of him as a 13-year-old.
"We came by bus from San Sebastian back then. It took several days with a stop in Germany," said Alonso (42): "We were allowed to play the final at Ullevi. Unfortunately we lost, but it was a great experience for us young players. It was my first game in a big stadium."
Alonso's team, which included current Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, lost 4-0 to Swedish side Brommapojkarna in the final. The Gothia Cup, which has been held since 1975, is the largest youth tournament in the world. Around 1500 teams from 80 countries take part every year.
Alonso returned to Gothenburg on Wednesday to play the fifth Europa League group game with Leverkusen at Swedish cup winners BK Häcken on Thursday (9pm/RTL+), also at the Ullevi stadium. Häcken is the organizer of the tournament. The Swedes are still without points in the Europa League, while Bayer have won all four games, are already safely through and could secure top spot in the group with a point on Thursday.
During his time with Antiguoko, Alonso played in the Gothia Cup final against Brommapojkarna, a Swedish side. In the upcoming Europa League game, Bayer Leverkusen, led by Alonso, will face BK Häcken at Ullevi, the same stadium where their youth team once competed.
Source: www.dpa.com
