Xabi Alonso: Carlo Ancelotti was right to let Mesut Ozil leave

Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso has hinted at the reason behind Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to sell Mesut Ozil to Arsenal for £42.4 million in the summer.

The Spanish outfit’s decision to let the German leave the club, even with the imminent arrival of Gareth Bale, was a huge shock given his influence and impressive assist record during his time at the Bernabeu.

However, Ozil’s performances for the north Londoners this season have come under intense scrutiny as he looks uninterested and moody at times, which Alonso has declared would not sit well with a manager like Ancelotti, who puts huge emphasis on team spirit and commitment.

“He has a personality that lets him manage your dressing room with talent and enjoys talking with players. He combines all this with great authority.

“When there is need for demand, he does so. Ancelotti is much more than your image of a quiet man. Whoever does not gives one hundred percent is punished, I can assure you,” the former Liverpool man declared.

On Ozil, Alonso said: ”It’s true, that maybe Di Maria has less quality than Ozil but on a profile of dynamism, character and help to the team I preferred Di Maria.

“With the arrival of Bale it was better to have Di Maria than Ozil.”

Ozil’s stroppy displays and poor body language in recent games have revealed a side to the 25-year-old that was not strikingly obvious but was clearly evident to Ancelotti in just a matter of weeks in the Spanish capital, who sanctioned the move for Ozil but opted to retain Angel Di Maria.

The Italian appears to have made the right choice for his team, who are top of La Liga and all but assured a Champions League quarter final place, while Arsene Wenger has a huge selection dilemma on his hands as he struggles to manage the maligned Gunners midfielder at a vital point in the season.

Talent is one thing, but an attitude to match it is crucial for success at the top level.