The golden era of continental football drew to an emotional close at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium as Real Madrid bid farewell to two of their modern defensive pillars. The home fixture against city rivals Atlético Madrid served as the formal farewell stage for the highly decorated defenders Daniel Carvajal and David Alaba. Amid the poignant atmosphere inside the stadium, the Madrid supporters orchestrated a visually striking tribute to mark the departure of the Austrian international. In a choreographed display across the grandstands, thousands of fans lifted plastic chairs into the air, recreating Alaba’s globally recognised signature celebration to offer a definitive salute to the departing defender.
The symbolic demonstration culminated in the 68th minute of the match when the head coach made the tactical decision to substitute Alaba. As the 33-year-old defender walked towards the touchline, the entire capacity crowd at the Bernabéu rose to deliver a sustained standing ovation, with hundreds of spectators simultaneously raising white stadium chairs above their heads.
Origins of the Celebrated Folding Chair Tribute
The unconventional tribute enacted by the fans was a direct historical reference to an iconic moment in Real Madrid’s recent European history. During the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League campaign, Real Madrid executed a dramatic second-leg comeback against Paris Saint-Germain at the Santiago Bernabéu to advance to the quarter-finals.
In the immediate aftermath of Karim Benzema’s match-winning goal, David Alaba hoisted a white plastic groundskeeper’s folding chair into the air in front of the roaring home supporters. The spontaneous act rapidly transformed into a symbol of European resilience for the club’s global fan base, and it was deliberately revived by the club’s official supporters’ groups to contextualise his five-year tenure in the Spanish capital.
Emotional Post-Match Address and Injury Tribulations
Following the conclusion of the match, an visibly emotional Alaba reflected on his journey with the Spanish giants during a live broadcast interview with the club’s in-house media network, Real Madrid TV. The defender, who arrived from Bayern Munich on a free transfer in 2021, experienced a severe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury during his final seasons, which required multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation periods.
“I have not prepared a formal speech today,” Alaba stated while visibly holding back tears. “I want to say very briefly: thank you all infinitely for the immense love and support you have shown me over these five wonderful years. Most importantly, I will never forget how this club and its supporters stood firmly by my side during the dark, difficult days of my knee injury. Real Madrid will remain in my heart for the rest of my life.”
The administrative staff and medical team at Real Madrid had previously extended significant structural and therapeutic support to Alaba during his prolonged physical recovery, a gesture that the player highlighted as a testament to the club’s internal culture.
Carvajal Expresses Gratitude to President Florentino Pérez
The emotional intensity inside the stadium amplified when Daniel Carvajal, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most decorated right-backs in the history of Real Madrid, took the microphone to deliver his definitive farewell address to the club. A absolute silence fell across the multi-tiered stadium as the veteran defender, who graduated from the club’s youth academy, struggled to contain his composure while addressing the club’s hierarchy.
Carvajal directed his core expressions of gratitude toward the long-standing President of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez. He recalled the pivotal administrative decisions that shaped his professional career, explicitly highlighting the loyalty shown by the executive leadership during his own career-threatening physical setbacks.
The German Recall: Carvajal publicly thanked the president for exercising the club’s buy-back clause to recall him to Madrid following a successful developmental spell in the German Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.
The Contract Extension: The right-back revealed that following his own devastating knee injury, President Pérez chose to renew his contract less than 24 hours after the medical diagnosis was confirmed, demonstrating unconditional faith in his recovery.
“I am eternally grateful to our president, Mr Florentino Pérez,” Carvajal stated in a cracked voice. “He was the one who brought me back home from Germany. Above all else, when I suffered my catastrophic knee injury, not even twenty-four hours had elapsed before he renewed my contract without a single shred of hesitation. For that act of profound human and professional loyalty, I am forever in his debt.”
The double departure marks a significant transition phase for the club’s defensive line, as the squad bids farewell to a combined collection of multiple domestic and European titles.