02/08/2026
๐๏ธ Xabi Alonso talks about what makes a good culture inside a club, you listen. โYou need the right balance of personalities, of maturity stages, (players in their) early twenties, early thirties and in between, players in different stages of their careers,โ he explains. โThere is not a formula for that, but there is a feeling for it.
โAfter, (it is about) the qualities and the way they interact. If they have good qualities and good interaction between them, you create good connections and good bonds between them, and that helps the team spirit. This is as important as tactics. First, it is the team spirit. After that is playing good football, winning games. Then you continue and continue.
โWhat taught me that? Playing football. Sometimes you had the feeling of, โOh, I love playing with this teamโ. You could feel it. But for that, you need commitment and responsibility, and for me, it has been very natural. How long does it take? It can be a week, it can be 10 years.โ The Athletic FC
