Chelsea Corner: Marcos Alonso

Television presenter Anant Tyagi was joined by Marcos Alonso for episode 8 of Certified Chelsea, as the Spanish international spoke candidly about a wide range of topics. Alonso has become a cult hero at Stamford Bridge over the years and has developed a knack for scoring important goals for the club.

When asked about the upcoming UEFA Champions League final against Manchester City, Alonso said it could be a different game to what was the case when the two sides met in the Premier League earlier this month.

“I think it will be a different game, it is a final, so there will be a great atmosphere. Hopefully, we can have fans back at the stadium. We have time to prepare for it, so hopefully, we will be ready!”

Alonso joined Chelsea in 2016 for a fee believed to be in the region of £24 million after a successful stint with Fiorentina in Serie A. Under Antonio Conte, the Spaniard starred as a left-wing back in a back three, as Chelsea won the league title in his first season at the club. The 30-year-old described his Chelsea stint so far as “memorable” and went on to speak about his time as a Blues player.

“I came through from the Real Madrid academy and was given the chance of playing for Chelsea, which is one of the biggest clubs in the world. It’s great to play top-level football and it is a great opportunity that Chelsea gave me. I'm very happy to be a part of this club.”

Alonso picked Rafael Nadal as one of his idols outside football, while legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant also received a mention. As for footballers, the Spaniard selected Diego Maradona and Roberto Carlos as players he idolized as a youngster, with the latter widely regarded as one of the greatest full-backs of all time.

The Spaniard also shared an interesting story about one of his first training sessions with Real Madrid when asked by Anant Tyagi about the toughest players he has come up against.

“I have very bad memories of one of my first training sessions with Real Madrid. I had to defend against Arjen Robben and I was just 16 years old. I was just a kid, so it is a good memory as well as a bad one!”

Much like the rest of the Chelsea players, Alonso is adored by Indian Blues for his contributions to the club. Anant Tyagi compiled a list of questions from fans across the country and posed them to the Spaniard, who answered them candidly.

When asked by Susheel from Lucknow about what it feels like to have played top-flight football in Italy, Spain and England, Alonso said it has helped him become a more complete player. Sujit from Pune then asked the Spaniard for his favorite goal as a Chelsea player, to which Alonso took a short trip down memory lane.

“I have good memories from the two goals I scored against Tottenham at Wembley. Even though it was the beginning of the season, it was one of the best days of my career. The one against Manchester City this season was also an important goal!”

Alonso finally sent a heartfelt message to Chelsea fans in India and thanked them for their support.

“I hope we have the chance to visit India one day once we are allowed to travel like we used to. I would love to come to India to play in front of the fans and give back all the support we get from them. Thank you for your continued support!”

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