Steven Gerrard has described Liverpool's decision to sell Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid in 2009 as a 'disastrous decision', placing the blame squarely on then-manager Rafa Benitez. The former Reds captain expressed his devastation in his 2015 autobiography and in interviews, reflecting on the breakdown of a midfield partnership that nearly delivered the Premier League title in 2008/09.
Gerrard's Verdict on Alonso's Exit
In his autobiography, Gerrard wrote: 'It was a disastrous decision to sell Alonso. I blame Rafa entirely for the loss of Alonso. It was clear Alonso was royalty after our first training session together and Rafa Benitez, who had been so clever to buy him in the first place, was equally stupid to sell him to Real Madrid five years later.'
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Gerrard added: 'Devastated, yeah. Devastated. But there was nothing I could do about it. Xabi said a long time ago that he wanted another chapter in his career and finally he got it and his team-mates and the coaches couldn't stand in his way. We just have to say thanks and move forward without him.'
Impact on Liverpool and Benitez
Alonso, who spent five years at Anfield, scored in the 2005 Champions League final and made over 200 appearances. His sale for £30 million marked the beginning of the end for Benitez, as replacement Alberto Aquilani struggled with injury, and Liverpool finished seventh the following season.
Gerrard also contrasted Alonso's situation with that of Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres, noting that Alonso never asked to leave. He wrote: 'Xabi Alonso could still be playing for Liverpool, six or seven years later, so why should he have left at the age of 27 when he still had almost three years left on his contract? Mascherano wanted to go, and he refused to play on until he got his move. Torres came to me to ask for help to leave, and he downed tools until he went to Chelsea. Xabi Alonso never once said to me he wanted a move.'
Alonso went on to win La Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid, and three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, while Liverpool's decline continued.
