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Alisson sets Champions League medal target at Liverpool and salutes the methods of motivation 'specialist' Klopp
The Brazilian goalkeeper has got a taste for European success and hopes a proven German coach will be the man to deliver more glory at Anfield
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson has got a taste for Champions League glory and boldly declared that he wants to experience the highs of European success “again and again”.
The commanding Brazil international got his hands on continental football’s biggest prize in 2019 when helping the Reds to overcome Premier League rivals Tottenham in Madrid.
Domestic title glory has followed since then, but a humbling slide down those standings has been taken in this season to leave trophy-chasing sights at Anfield locked on one prize in particular.
What has been said?
Alisson has told FourFourTwo: “Life is about fighting for your dreams.
“You might change a dream or update it, but you must keep fighting for what makes you happy.
“In football, winning trophies is the main goal. Now I know the feeling of winning a Champions League final, and I want to feel it again and again.”
The 28-year-old added, with injury-ravaged Liverpool already through to the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions League: “We’re a very competitive side, so we feel capable of fighting for every competition.
“You never know what will happen in football. That’s one of the reasons why this sport is loved by almost everyone.
“Unfortunately, we lost one of our key players in Virgil van Dijk [last October]. It wouldn’t be easy for any team to lose such a big player, because he’s the world’s best defender, but our substitutes have been doing a great job. That’s maybe our main quality: we don’t just depend on one guy.”
The bigger picture
A top-four finish is now the best that title holders Liverpool can hope for in the Premier League this season.
Tangible success in Europe would, however, salvage what has been a testing campaign and ease some of the pressure that has started to build on Jurgen Klopp’s shoulders.
Alisson maintains that the German remains the right man for the Reds, with his track record on Merseyside helping to calm any questions regarding his future.
The shot-stopper said of his boss: “When it comes to motivating the players, Klopp is a specialist.
“He always finds the right words to give us more confidence before matches – you know he has a genuine passion for the game.
“We can all see how much he believes in his plan, and how confident he is in the players. It’s not only him, actually: Klopp has a great staff with him, and everybody is vital to keep everyone else motivated.
“I’m convinced that we’re on the right track to achieve our goals, because the squad understands the need to fight not only for yourself, but for each other, for the manager, for the fans.
“We’re together and depend on each other. That’s our mentality at Liverpool.”
