Xabi Alonso is back in Liverpool more than 15 years after leaving the Reds, and it’s fair to say that the scenery has changed somewhat since he departed for Real Madrid in 2009.
The Spaniard faces his former club in a managerial capacity on Tuesday night when his Bayer Leverkusen side face the Merseysiders at Anfield, which looks unmistakably different now to what it had been when he graced the turf in L4.
Alonso awestruck by new-look Anfield
The 42-year-old held his pre-match press conference this evening, and he was awestruck at the expansion of the stadium over the past few years.
Alonso said (via Liverpool Echo): “It feels great to be back after a few years; t’s always special. You notice the development of the club; the new stand looks amazing. For sure tomorrow is a big game against Liverpool in a great moment. It cannot get much better than that.”
Anfield’s expansion one of FSG’s biggest triumphs
The remarks from the ex-Liverpool midfielder will be appreciated by Reds fans, and they’ll have thoroughly delighted the FSG hierarchy, under whose stewardship Anfield has evolved significantly.
From a capacity of approximately 45,000 when they took control of the club in 2010, the venue can now fit 61,000 spectators thanks to the rebuilding and expansion of the Main Stand and Anfield Road Stand.
John Henry and co have made quite a few missteps during their ownership of LFC – the European Super League fiasco, the plans to increase ticket prices to £77 and the furloughing of staff during the pandemic were horrendous decisions – but the redevelopment of the stadium is a definite plus point.
Anfield should be rocking ahead of kick-off tomorrow night and hopefully right throughout the match as well, just like it was on so many unforgettable nights when Alonso was in the red of Liverpool as a player.
