Xabi Alonso’s return to Anfield is an intriguing subplot in Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League clash against Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield.
The Spaniard is back to his old hunting ground, this time as a manager as he looks to haunt his former club.
Alonso shook hands with most Liverpool journalists after his pre-match press conference, recognising a lot of them after crossing paths with them during his time as a player at Anfield.
And now, the elegant Spaniard has shown his class once again as he encountered Luis Garcia, his former teammate.
Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia involved in warm embrace ahead of Liverpool vs Leverkusen
Alonso said he’d be emotional if the Liverpool fans sang his name at Anfield on his return.
Before walking out of the tunnel ahead of kick-off, the Spaniard encountered his former teammate and compatriot Luis Garcia.
As seen below in the video, Alonso walked towards Garcia and gave him a warm hug as the two former teammates shared a lovely embrace at a place they once called home.
How long did Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia play together at Liverpool?
Both Alonso and Garcia joined Liverpool in the summer of 2004 as Rafa Benitez made wholesale changes to the squad he inherited.
Alonso established himself as one of the best midfielders in world football at Anfield and secured a move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.
Garcia, on the other hand, didn’t enjoy as much success as his compatriot but played a big role in Liverpool’s triumphant Champions League campaign in 04-05 with goals against Chelsea and Juventus.
He left to join Atletico Madrid in 2007 in a deal that saw a certain Fernando Torres move to Anfield…
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