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Alonso: World Cup win would top Istanbul PDF Print E-mail
Written by Simos Sakkas   
Sunday, 11 July 2010

Xabi Alonso always thought that a magical night in Istanbul five years ago would always be the pinnacle of his career – until now.

The Real Madrid midfielder still recalls Liverpool’s miraculous Champions League Final triumph over AC Milan with disbelief.

Alonso was at the heart of a comeback that saw the ­Merseysiders recover from three goals down at half-time to level at 3-3 before going on to win after a dramatic ­penalty shoot-out.

Tonight, though, Alonso has the chance to stand on the shoulders of giants when Spain meet Holland in the World Cup final at Johannesburg’s Soccer City.

Alonso, who scored Liverpool’s third goal that night in the Ataturk Stadium when he slammed home the rebound after his penalty had been saved, said: “Winning the World Cup would be even ­better than winning the Champions League in what will probably always be the greatest final ever.


“I never thought I would get the chance to do something even more special that what Liverpool achieved in 2005.

“The drama of Istanbul on the pitch was like the most unbelievable dream.

“On the pitch we somehow came back from the dead to beat a team with incredible talent.

“Off the pitch, there were the Liverpool fans refusing to give up even though we were three goals down.

“There was my goal, fantastic saves from Jerzy Dudek. If you didn’t see it with your own eyes you wouldn’t believe it.

“But winning the World Cup – that is an achievement that so few players can make.

“Some of the best players the game has known never got a chance like this, when you can spell your name in history.”
 
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