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Real Madrid defender David Alaba has revealed that the club wanted him to wear Sergio Ramos' #4 jersey upon his arrival from Bayern Munich. The Austrian, however, initially turned down the offer.
Alaba explained that he wanted the number 27 jersey, the one he wore for nine years at Bayern Munich. But due to La Liga regulations, he had to take the #4 jersey even though he wished to avoid any comparison with Sergio Ramos.
"Number 27, which is the one I wore at Bayern Munich, is not allowed in LaLiga and the club wanted me to wear No. 4. Sergio Ramos is an absolute legend. His performances on and off the pitch make him a role model. But I am Alaba and I don't want to be compared to others, I want to write my own history here," Alaba told Sport Bild (via Marca).
Ramos' 16-year association with Real Madrid came to an end in the summer, with the Spaniard joining Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.
Very happy to be able to work with Carlo Ancelotti again: Real Madrid defender David Alaba
David Alaba played a season and a half under Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich between 2015 and 2017 and will now play under the Italian again at Real Madrid. The 29-year-old is looking forward to working under the legendary manager for a second time.
"I am very happy to be able to work with him again," Alaba said. "As a person he is very honest, and as a coach he has an incredible amount of experience.
"On the first day, Carlo greeted me in German, so there's something left from his time in Germany. But then we spoke in English," Alaba added.
Alaba also thanked his former Bayern Munich teammate Toni Kroos for helping with the transition at Real Madrid.
"We [Kroos] smiled to each other when we met in the dressing room for the first time. Toni helped me a lot, especially in the beginning. He was an important factor for me when I was adapting. His wife was also a great help to my partner," he said.
