The 32-year-old Spaniard surprisingly joined ambitious Bayern Munich on Friday on a two-year deal from Real Madrid and said it was his desire to keep playing and winning that led him to the 2013 Champions League winners.
"I thought I needed a new challenge and there is nothing bigger than playing for Bayern," holding midfielder Alonso told Reuters Television on Sunday, a day after his Bayern debut in their 1-1 draw against Schalke.
"This was a huge opportunity for me. I talked with (coach) Pep Guardiola and he explained what he wants from me. I felt this hunger inside me that is necessary to play football and that is why I am here."
The midfielder, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 and Real Madrid last season, showed he needed no time to settle in, playing a near flawless first half at Schalke on Saturday with the most ball contacts than any other Bayern player in the first half.
Alonso, brought in as a defensive midfield option after injuries to Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thiago Alcantara and Javi Martinez, had only signed for Bayern on Friday.
"True, the first days were a bit intense. I had to fly back to Madrid to bid farewell to the club and fans and then I flew back and played my first game yesterday," he said.
"Everything happened so quickly but it all went well. The 1-1 draw may not be the best result for us but I am happy to have had my debut."
Bayern, who have four points from two Bundesliga matches, have been drawn with Manchester City, CSKA Moscow and AS Roma in their Champions League Group E.
(Reporting by Reuters Television, Writing by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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