Austria star David Alaba simply said ‘F***!’ when Cristiano Ronaldo won late penalty for Portugal in thrilling Euro 2016 draw
Bayern Munich ace turned airwaves blue when asked for his reaction to suspenseful spot-kick which hit the post
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DAVID ALABA has revealed the one word that ran through his mind when Cristiano Ronaldo won a penalty for Portugal during Saturday's 0-0 draw against Austria.
The Bayern Munich full-back was substituted with 25 minutes remaining, but his heart was in his mouth when Ronaldo was awarded a spot-kick late on in the game.
Fortunately for Austria, the Real Madrid ace fluffed his lines as the penalty hit the post, but that didn’t stop Alaba from saying: “F***!”
Talking to journalists after the game, the 23-year-old – who was deployed in an unconventional No.10 role – was asked how he reacted when Ronaldo was hauled down with just 11 minutes to play.
And obviously happy to share his blunt response, Alaba exclaimed: “F***! I just said ‘f***’.”
The defender also revealed that Austria were fortunate to come away with a point after Ronaldo fired off 20 shots throughout the match and also had a late goal disallowed for offside.
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Alaba added: “It’s not a bad result. We were very lucky because they missed the penalty. We’re glad we got a point from this game.”
Fans and pundits were surprised when Alaba was hauled off in the 65th minute, with many speculating he had picked up an injury.
But Austria coach Marcel Koller insists the change was a tactical one, adding that Alaba did his country proud in an unfamiliar position.
Koller explained: “We considered other options for the game and that was successful. David has played another position for us, more to the front. He did that quite well but I wanted to bring a little freshness to the side because the Portuguese were trying to win the game.
“Due to the intense defending, one or two players were quite exhausted at the end. It was difficult for Alaba, this new position. To play in this new position I think he did that very well together with Martin Harnik.
“Of course it was difficult for the two of them to play against such an opposition but they closed many spaces in the defence as well. I don’t think there is any reason for him to be upset. He helped the side, he supported his team-mates. There is no reason to be upset or dissatisfied.”
