"Alonso already had the eye of a coach when he played"

Fabio Coentrao was always in the shadows at Real Madrid. The Portuguese put in some decent performances, but some unprofessional images have stuck in the minds of the fans. 

The Portuguese spoke to 'Marca' about the 'Merengues', his past there and what awaits him in the immediate future, starting with their coach: "Xabi Alonso is very good. I had the opportunity to play with him. You could already see that he had an eye for being a coach".

"Real Madrid are always fighting for every title. They have a good team, a good coach. I hope everything goes well," he said on the verge of their Champions League debut against Olympique Marseille.

Coentrao has fond memories of "the Champions Leagues with Real Madrid". "Everything I experienced in Madrid is a fantastic memory," said the former Portugal international, who spoke of one name in particular, Cristiano Ronaldo: "He is unique. Playing with the best in history is the best there is".