Xabi Alonso spoke to the press gathered at Real Madrid City to analyse team's first Champions League clash of the campaign, a meeting with Olympique Marseille at the Bernabéu: "We're approaching it with the excitement levels that come with playing for Real Madrid in the Champions League. It's special for this team, and playing at the Bernabéu, with all of that history, is even greater motivation. The guys are eager to keep making progress, to keep growing and to face tough, top-level opposition. We're up against a very good team tomorrow and we hope to start strongly."
Controversy at Anoeta
"We spoke after the game, and I've already said all I needed to say to you in the press conference following the match. We're leaving it there, now it's time to move on and look at the Champions League, which is what we're dealing with now and it's highly important."
Antidoping tests prior to training
"They're things beyond our control. It's just LaLiga protocol. We had to do it today, and then we were able to train. We were a little delayed, that's all there is to it. We don't decide these things."
Vini Jr.
"I've spoken to him, he did a fantastic job despite us being a man down on Saturday. It wasn't ideal for an attacking player but he sacrificed himself for the team. It was a real team win. He looks good to me, his energy levels are high for tomorrow."
Carvajal
"There's one thing that hasn't changed much, and that's his competitive spirit. Ever since he came in during the 2013-14 season, he had that, and when he arrived from Leverkusen he played an important role in his first season. He gave us a lot, and we ended up winning the Champions League. That hasn't changed much over the years, but his personality, maturity, the influence he holds as a captain, with the experience he has at Madrid and the national team, the respect his teammates have for him, the sense of responsibility he instils, that's all been developing and it's what I've found now. He was still recovering while we were in the United States, but now he's fit enough to play, you can see what a positive impact he has on everyone around him. We need to have those kinds of leaders in a dressing room, they're crucial. Carva is an example of that. There are lots of others and we need that strong core to guide the rest."
Are fans becoming frustrated with the refereeing?
"I said it following the press conference. I don't want the refereeing thing to become an ongoing theme. We're focused on tomorrow's game. What happened at Anoeta was obvious and it's been discussed enough. Now we have to look forward."
Do you see any differences between refereeing in Spain and Europe?
"I feel equally calm about it. I'm not at all concerned ahead of tomorrow's match, nor am I worried about our next LaLiga game on Saturday."
Mbappé's form
"I was optimistic about it. Following the Club World Cup, I was eager to get to know him and to find that connection. Then you see the player he is, and the curiosity he has about the game. He loves to learn and understand things, and when he's able to do that, his individual quality flourishes. We need him and the group's collective quality that will allow him to do his own thing and make a difference as well. It's not about only Kylian, Vini or Rodrygo, we need the team to work. We need collective quality with and without the ball, so we can help them make the difference."
Did his time as a Real Madrid player end too soon?
"I didn't think about it. They were five very intense years. We really struggled to win that Champions League. If we hadn't won it, I probably wouldn't have left without a bit of a thorn in my side, because prior to winning La Décima we'd made three semis. Many of us learned that in order to win things, you had to lose along the way - sometimes quite a bit. We had to lose three semi-finals over that time on our way to winning La Décima. We didn't win it the following year, but then it was the Zizou years, which were unbelievable. Some of the guys here were part of that - it's a truly unique achievement in the history of Madrid and the Champions League."
Mbappé as a leader
"Undoubtedly, he is. Given his personality, his experience and the influence he has on others. He's one of the leaders and when the group is strong, consolidated, the rest of the squad know who they have to look at, whose example they should follow. Kylian is one of them."
FIFA report on refereeing
"It's not a one-off. The right to defend our interests is always legitimate. Whenever the club wishes to do so, I think that's right."
Is Mbappé anxious to win the Champions League?
"He doesn't look it to me. We're all well aware that this a project in its early stages. As part of playing for Madrid, one of the goals along the way is always to win the Champions League. I hope it happens sooner rather than later, and that we're following the right path to get there. Kylian is part of that. Today we've discussed what the Champions League means, but we haven't spoken about May - we're focused on the now."
Pressure to win titles
"That is a fact. It's unquestionable. It's an honour, a source of motivation and a responsibility that you live with and thrive off. When you come in here and pull on the jersey, or when you arrive as a coach, that's why you're here. It's a privilege."gio".
Kheminei
23
Mbappe us currently the best so far