David Alaba: "There’s still a bit of time before I go, and I can’t fully take it in at the moment. But to be honest, there are days where I catch myself looking back at this special time here at FC Bayern. It’s just been fantastic over the years" [Säbener 51]

Alaba on what he will miss the most: "The dressing room and my teammates, the fans in the stadium, the atmosphere at Säbener Straße where I spent two years in the youth accommodation at the beginning."

Alaba: "I’ll also miss the city of Munich where I’ve lived for 13 years and which has become much more than a second home for me. My son was born in Munich, his grandparents live here, so there will always be a close connection"

Alaba: "I came here as a 16-year-old from Vienna and now we’re looking back at almost half my life, 13 years later. That really says it all. The club is my family, my home, my special place."

Alaba: "I can’t say whether you’ll see me cry but I definitely will inwardly. I had to battle with my emotions recently when we had our last big photo shoot at the Allianz Arena. I’m incredibly grateful for the support from our fans over all the years."

Alaba: "One time at Frankfurt, a fan called me over to the fence, and after that we had eye contact at least after every game. I could always imagine myself in the South Stand because I stood there a couple of times when I was a teenager"

Alaba: "It’s funny how it’s all turned out. I was a ball boy and, before games in the Champions League, also one of the boys who made waves with the round flag in the centre circle when the stars came out. And then, I was a player on the pitch."

Alaba on whether he has something to say to the fans: "Yes, it’s very simple: thank you for everything! I’ll never forget this relationship and it will always be in my heart."

Alaba: "It’s always difficult when something comes to an end and it’s no secret that I’ve always really felt at home here. Obviously, I’m leaving FC Bayern with a tear in my eye but also looking forward to my future at the same time"

Alaba: "It wasn’t a decision against the club, but I decided I’d like to do something new and take another step forward. To grow, you have to leave your 'comfort zone' – and I deliberately put that word in quotation marks because it could possibly be misunderstood"

Alaba: "At FC Bayern, the expectations on the pitch are always extreme from the management, in the dressing room or from yourself. I think that perhaps you have to go into the unknown to be able to mature again."

Alaba: "I wish FC Bayern only the best. This club will always be in my heart. I’m incredibly grateful. I wish FC Bayern will carry on writing a great success story. And to be honest, I have no worries about this club"