David Alaba captains Bayern Munich in a milestone match

David Alaba wore the captain’s armband for the first time in his storied Bayern Munich career when they took on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. However, this was not the only milestone for the Austrian defender — it was also his 400th competitive appearance for the Bavarians!

Alaba is only the second foreign player to play 400 games for Bayern, the other being his former partner on the left, Franck Ribery. At 425 games, Alaba would have a chance to break Ribery’s record this season.

Alaba made his debut for Bayern on February 10, 2010. At the time, he was the youngest-ever to play for Bayern at 17 years 231 days. Only recently has Jamal Musiala broken that record with 17 years 115 days. Only Thomas Muller, who made his debut in 2008, has been at Bayern longer that Alaba. Muller (552) and Manuel Neuer (402) are the only ones in the current squad with more appearances than Alaba.

At only 28-years-old, Alaba has already accomplished so much at the club level. He has won two Champions League titles, nine Bundesliga titles, and six DFB Pokals. With the uncertainty that surrounds his contract status at Bayern, one thing is certain — David Alaba is and always will be a Bayern legend. Whether he stays past 2021 or not, his contributions to the club should not soon be forgotten.