Xabi Alonso has quickly become one of the key parts of Bayern Munich's success this season after his August move from Real Madrid to the Bundesliga.

"It happened really quickly," said Alonso about the move. "A couple of weeks before the end of August I heard about the interest from Bayern. I gave it a lot of thought because it was an important decision. I had to evaluate what I had in Madrid and what I might have here in Munich. At this stage I thought I probably needed a new step, a new challenge, a fresh start somewhere else. In Madrid I had five years that finished with [winning] the Champions League -- the goal that we had all that time. I'm the kind of person who wants to try new things. I've done La Liga, I've done the Premier League. And in the last few years, the Bundesliga has been growing. The project here at Bayern Munich is really solid, really serious. The team is good, the manager is very good, the club is a massive club with great tradition, and great prospects. So this had all the right ingredients for me to take that decision. It was not easy to leave Real Madrid but I needed to be brave and move along. Once I made my decision, Madrid were really helpful and I'm grateful for that."

Pep Guardiola was influential in getting Alonso to Munich.

"I had a conversation with Guardiola about what he wanted from me. About what he thinks about football, about what I could deliver to the team. I could imagine myself in that team. Then I spoke to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and he explained to me Bayern's history and their position in German football."

Alonso has been impressed by the fans in Germany.

"The connection and interaction between teams and fans at the games, especially away from home. Wherever you go -- to Hamburg, to Gladbach, everywhere -- 4000, 5000 fans follow you. That's really nice. You can see from the outside the architecture of the stadiums, you hear the noise of the match days, and it makes for a special experience. You can feel that the supporters are really involved in the games."