"It really hurts"

Alaba “on fire” – team “far from finished”

David Alaba looks back on an eventful and ultimately painful Euro 2024.(Bild: GEPA)

David Alaba is "on fire". Austria's elimination in the round of 16 of the European Championship seems to have awakened the fighting spirit in him. The team is "nowhere near the end of the journey", he writes on Insta. And at the same time admits: "It really hurts."

Yes, these are emotional words with which Alaba addresses the (social media) public. "The enthusiasm of our entire nation has carried and motivated us over the past weeks and months. So it hurts all the more that we now have to share the sorrow of our round of 16 defeat," he begins his post, which resembles a potpourri of his most emotional European Championship moments. In his picture gallery, he looks pensively towards the pitch, cheers in the dressing room with Marko Arnautovic and Co. and hugs head coach Ralf Rangnick. The European Championship was obviously also something very special for him as a "non-playing captain".

"Nevertheless, I know..."
"It really hurts that the lads weren't rewarded for their strong performance on the pitch and it hurts even more that we had to go home. And yet I know that we are nowhere near the end of our journey with this team," continued Alaba.

"I'm eager for it"
David promises: the team will get up again. It's worth "fighting for Austria again and again". He is "more than grateful" to have accompanied his team-mates to the European Championships. And: "I'm eager to lead the team back onto the pitch."

... and then almost certainly be part of a regular central defense again. Rangnick doesn't seem to have finally found this in the tournament. Perhaps it will be clearer when the captain is back on board.