Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso says he would love to win the Champions League for the third time in his career but believes it is too early in the season to single out a favourite for the trophy.
Alonso, 32, joined Bayern from Real Madrid in the summer, instantly securing a commanding and influential role in Pep Guardiola's side upon his arrival.
Having retired from Spain duty after the World Cup, Alonso stayed at the Bundesliga champions' training facilities at Sabener Strasse during the international break and sat down with reporters on Tuesday to discuss his start in Munich.
"It wasn't an easy decision to leave Real Madrid. But I felt it was the right time to take a new direction," he said. "I wanted a new challenge and I had the chance to move -- to a new league, a new country, to another top club. First Liverpool, then Madrid and now Bayern -- that's a wonderful script for my career and that played a big part in my decision."
Alonso's career could still produce a third Champions League title, having won with Liverpool in 2005 and with Madrid last season -- although he was suspended for the final against Atletico Madrid -- as Los Blancos finally claimed "La Decima."
"To win a third trophy would be fantastic," Alonso said. "That is a huge, huge challenge. But the season is still young and hopefully we can compete for the Champions League title.
"But there are many other aspirants to the title -- Real, Barcelona, Chelsea, it's always difficult to play [Borussia] Dortmund. It's just too early in the season and there are several favourites."
In the Bundesliga, Bayern have already made a huge step towards claiming a third consecutive title -- they have put four points between themselves and Hoffenheim and Borussia Monchengladbach, who sit second and third respectively. Borussia Dortmund, viewed as the only team capable of beating the champions to the title ahead of the current season, are already 10 points off the pace.
Alonso, though, is refusing to get complacent and says Bayern will continue fighting until the end of the campaign.
"If you play for Bayern you fight for everything," he said. "We're doing well up to now. But we want to keep on improving and finish top at the end of the season in the race for the title."
When Bayern signed the midfielder this summer they received much criticism from the German media, who warned that the growing number of players arriving from Spain were slowly turning the club into an "FC Espanol Bayern."
Alonso, though, dismissed the idea that Bayern had lost its identity, claiming that the German players still have a great influence on the team.
"Of course, I want to be an important player in the team. But I think it's important for a group of German players to have the say in the dressing room," Alonso said. "We new players have to pick up a lot from them."