Who is Shalimar Heppner? Meet Real Madrid star David Alaba's girlfriend who is a PR manager and the daughter of a famous chef
Shalimar Heppner, the girlfriend of Real Madrid star David Alaba, is the daughter of renowned chef Frank Heppner, who is famous for his expertise in Euro-Asian cuisine.
Heppner has worked in famous restaurants across the globe, including the Hilton in Seoul, Korea, Peninsula hotels in Hong Kong, and the Philippines. He has also been a famous chef at Mark's Hotel in Germany. Grilled meat and fish are among Heppner's most famous dishes and he is also an expert in barbecue cuisine.
Shalimar, Frank's daughter, has previously worked as a public relations manager. She first met the Los Blancos defender David Alaba in 2017.
However, it was in 2018 that they made their relationship public after attending Oktoberfest in Berlin. The Austrian international, Alaba, was playing for Bayern Munich at the time.
The pair welcomed their first child back in 2019. The name or any further information about the boy is not known as the couple have kept his identity secret.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti wants David Alaba to play as a center back
Alaba is a versatile player who can play across different positions in defense and midfield. He became famous for his exploits as a left-back in Bayern Munich. However, he has often operated from the left-sided midfielder position for the Austrian national team.
Alaba's arrival at Real Madrid coincided with Sergio Ramos' departure. The former captain left a big void at the heart of the defense which the Austrian filled up. Ferland Mendy was deployed as the left-back throughout the last season.
When Antonio Rudiger arrived at the club in the summer, many expected the former Chelsea star to take up the centre-back position and Alaba would shift to left-back at Mendy's expense.
However, manager Carlo Ancelotti surprised everyone when he played Rudiger at left-back in their pre-season clash against Barcelona. Alaba remained in the center-back spot.
While speaking after the game, the Italian had this to say regarding his decision (via Managing Madrid):
“Alaba will only play left-back when it’s necessary, as I don’t want to break up the successful team of last season. I liked what Rüdiger did as a full-back, although I’m not crazy and I know that’s not his main position. He can play there or switch with Alaba. He’s very intelligent.”