David Alaba has laid out his ambitions to "win again" after the former Real Madrid defender completed his move to Serie A side Udinese on Thursday.
Alaba has joined Udinese as a free agent on a contract that will run until the end of the 2026-27 season, following five successful years in the Spanish capital.
The 34-year-old brings with him a wealth of European experience, having also spent 13 years with Bayern Munich before making the move to Madrid in 2021.
He won 25 trophies with the Bundesliga giants, before going on to win two LaLiga crowns and two Champions League titles, in addition to a Copa del Rey, a Supercopa de Espana, a UEFA Super Cup, a Club World Cup and an Intercontinental Cup with Los Blancos.
Alaba was a regular in his first few seasons with Madrid and started their 2022 Champions League final win against Liverpool, but injuries have hampered him in recent seasons.
The Austria international missed 13 months of action after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in December 2023, and failed to rediscover his impressive form.
He was restricted to 17 appearances in 2023-24, across all competitions, then made 14 in 2024-25 and 16 in 2025-26.
He only played 600 minutes in 2024-25 and was limited to 575 last season, with both of those campaigns ending without silverware, something he intends to change having now sealed his switch to Udinese.
"I've had a lot of different experiences, and I've won a lot during my career, but one thing hasn't changed. I want to compete and win again," Alaba said.
"I still want to achieve something special and that is the mentality I will bring to Udinese."
𝐀 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞.
David Alaba is a new Udinese Calcio player.
Experience, leadership and a career at the highest level of world football.
Welcome to Udine, David! pic.twitter.com/SOrA7Jc9Bg
— Udinese Calcio (@Udinese_1896) September 24, 2026
Alaba joins an Udinese side that sit 13th in Serie A this season, having taken four points from their opening five league games of 2026-27.
Only Venzia (13), Fiorentina and Monza (both 12) have conceded more league goals than Udinese (11) this term, something Alaba will be aiming to improve.
"The signing of David Alaba is a source of enormous pride for the whole club," said Udinese general manager Franco Collavino.
"We're welcoming an established champion, a leader and an exemplary professional. His arrival demonstrates Udinese's desire to grow and compete at the highest levels."
Udinese return to action after the extended international break on October 12, with a trip to Torino up next.
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