In a candid interview with Marca today, Alvaro Odriozola, the former Real Madrid right-back now playing his trade at Real Sociedad, opened up about his time at the Spanish capital club, his reflections on what went wrong, and the enduring friendships he maintains with some of his former teammates.
Odriozola’s return to action after an injury spell this season saw him face his former club, Real Madrid, in a match that ended in disappointment for Real Sociedad. Reflecting on the encounter, Odriozola remarked, “Yes, there is no doubt that I would be lying to you if I told you that it wasn’t a special match, because it is. We deserved to have won, some from Madrid even told me that after the game, but it was very gratifying to play again, to feel the love of my fans, because I assure you that I have put in many hours to once again give the best version of Alvaro.”
Despite parting ways with Real Madrid, Odriozola maintains strong bonds with certain players from his time there. He congratulated his former club on their La Liga triumph and their berth in the Champions League final. “I always say that the best thing about football is friends, and in Madrid I left, above all, Fede Valverde and Brahim,” Odriozola said “We had a great time together. I shared the entire preseason with Jude Bellingham and, as I speak English well, I tried to help him in his first months. What can I tell you about his explosion! I told him not to change, because Madrid is a club in which there is a danger of changing, and Jude’s greatest value is the person he is, very humble, to admire.”
Speaking about Real Madrid’s recent success in the Champions League, Odriozola dismissed notions of luck and emphasized the team’s belief and individual quality.
“I find it funny that people still talk about Madrid being lucky… it’s simply that they believe more than their rivals and that, obviously with their great individual quality, makes them unstoppable,” the Spaniard explained. “My favorite for the Champions League? As I told you, I have many friends there and I prefer Madrid to win, there is no doubt, but giving a favorite in a Champions League final is nonsense… If Dortmund has reached the final it is because they have a great team, with players like Marco Reus, one of the greats in European history, for me, and they are going to make it very complicated.”
Regarding his departure from Real Madrid, Odriozola clarified that despite his best efforts, success eluded him at the club. “I gave absolutely everything I had in my body and mind to do well there, but it didn’t happen,” he said. “Madrid became a kind of ‘chimera’, because you try to succeed and you can’t achieve it.”
