Alonso praises Juve honesty
13 Oct 2008 - 13:12:45
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has said he has no regrets over the collapse of a proposed summer transfer to Italian giants Juventus.
The 26-year-old seemed certain to move to Turin after Euro 2008, with the Reds needing to raise funds to secure the services of Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.
However, Juve eventually opted to sign Sevilla's Denmark international Christian Poulsen, leaving Alonso to remain at Anfield.
He told the Gazzetta dello Sport: "To be honest, for my part, the attraction to Juventus has remained intact.
"One thing I can say is that I personally appreciated the honesty of the club executives.
"They told me their tactics on the pitch were different and that is why they chose Christian Poulsen and not me.
"These are things that happen in football and it's fine. I could have gone but I didn't because, in the end, they chose someone else.
"Juventus are Juventus, the most prestigious club in Italy, but you cannot be disappointed when you play for Liverpool."