Bundesliga
Alaba: "Flick has a way of leading that I've never seen before"
David Alaba has played under Pep Guardiola, Jupp Heynckes, Carlo Ancelotti, Louis van Gaal and Niko Kovac at Bayern Munich, but the Austrian has never seen the team led in the way Hansi Flick is doing so currently.
Alaba has been one of the biggest beneficiaries at Bayern since Flick's arrival as head coach, with the defender turning from world-class left-back to world-class centre-back.
The 28-year-old has played in all but three games under Flick since his initial appointment as interim coach in November, featuring in the centre of Bayern's defence in all 28 of his appearances in that time across all competitions. And Flick's way of leading has helped him to feel so comfortable through the transition.
"His door is always open – he has a very positive way of leading the team that I have never seen before," Alaba told German sports magazine kicker. "I felt comfortable as a full-back, but that also applies to central defence. As a person on the pitch, I took another step forward because I can lead the team differently. It has always been my aspiration to take responsibility on and off the field and to develop. It worked quite well."
Alaba and Bayern celebrated their eighth consecutive Bundesliga title in the 2019/20 season, coming from as far back as seventh in the table after 14 games to end up on top with a 13-point cushion over Borussia Dortmund.
Alaba's ninth league title in total means that – along with Thomas Müller – he has matched Franck Ribery's record for most Meisterschales lifted by a single player. It all comes from Bayern's winning mentality, which Alaba says Flick knows all about.
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"He conveys this hunger, we absorb it," Alaba explained. "He's formed a team that is in a good mood. We go into every game to win. Every single player is aware that we are Bayern. Everyone wants to embody that."
Bayern clinched a second consecutive league and cup double on Saturday when they beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in the DFB Cup Final, with Alaba scoring a stunning direct free-kick to open the scoring.
The five-time European champions also look good for a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals which continue in August, so victory in the German capital has maintained their hopes of winning a treble for the second time in the club's history.