THIAGO ALCÂNTARA

He was born in Italy to Brazilian parents, but from the age of five Thiago Alcântara was raised in Spain and has been capped by his country 46 times. Thiago won 15 major honours during seven seasons at FC Bayern Munich before signing for the Reds in 2021 and also played alongside fellow Spaniard and former Liverpool FC pass-master Xabi Alonso at FCB. Before that he began his career with FC Barcelona, winning nine trophies during his time at…

CAMP NOU

One of football’s true cathedrals, FC Barcelona’s iconic stadium is currently undergoing a full renovation with the work expected to be completed during season 2025/26. In 1976, Liverpool FC became the first English club to beat Barca at Camp Nou when John Toshack scored the only goal in the UEFA Cup and only one English club has beaten the Catalan giants there since - the Reds in the Champions League in 2007! Alvaro Arbeloa made his debut, Craig Bellamy scored the first and John Arne Riise got the winner! Also in the LFC squad at the time was…

LUIS GARCIA

‘Luis Garcia, he drinks sangria, he came from Barca to bring us joy. He’s five-foot seven, he’s football heaven, so please don’t take our Luis away.’ One of the best players chants of the last 20 years was reserved for the little man for the big occasion. Signed from FC Barcelona in 2004, Garcia had a knack of scoring in big games including Champions League and FA Cup semi-final wins against Chelsea FC. He got 30 goals in 120 games for the Redmen before moving on to Atlético de Madrid, who play at…

ESTADIO METROPOLITANO

Atléti’s home since the 2017/18 season, Estadio Metropolitano holds a place in Liverpool FC folklore as one of the five venues that the Reds have won the European Cup at. Goals from Mo Salah and Divock Origi gave Jürgen Klopp’s men a 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur FC in the 2019 final - what a night. The Redmen have won again there since, beating Atlético de Madrid 3-2 in a 2021 group stage match with Salah scoring twice, and currently managing Atléti’s under-19s team is Mo’s former Chelsea FC teammate and ex-Red…

FERNANDO TORRES

‘His armband proved he was a Red, Torres, Torres. You’ll Never Walk Alone it said, Torres, Torres. We bought the lad from sunny Spain, he gets the ball he scores again, Fernando Torres Liverpool’s number nine. BOUNCE!’ Not many LFC careers are summed up in one Kop song, but he we are. He came back to a standing ovation for the LFC Foundation Legends game, topped off with a goal infront of the adoring Kop. Now, you may be aware that Torres got 81 goals for the Reds - including one in a famous 4-0 UEFA Champions League win against Real Madrid CF in 2009 - but did you know Nando was 40 on March 20th? That was exactly a week before National Paella Day! And speaking of things people didn’t know…

CORNER TAKEN QUICKLY

ORIGI! On 7th May 2019, 79 minutes into the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg at Anfield, the players of FC Barcelona didn’t know Trent Alexander-Arnold was taking a corner quickly! Divock Origi did and scored the goal that sealed a stunning 4-0 Liverpool FC win that overturned a 3-0 first leg deficit and sent the Reds to Madrid to win a sixth European Cup. Barca also lost the 2001 UEFA Cup semi-final 1-0 at Anfield - the Reds going on to beat another Spanish side Deportivo Alavés in the final in Dortmund - with Gary McAllister scoring and in the Catalans’ goal at Anfield that night was…

PEPE REINA

Before Alisson Becker came along, Pepe Reina was regarded as Liverpool FC’s best goalkeeper of the Premier League era. Signed from Villarreal CF, who the 41-year-old currently plays for, Reina kept 177 clean sheets in 394 appearances, won the Premier League Golden Glove in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and in his first season went a club-record 11 consecutive games without conceding a goal. Pepe, who also won the FA Cup in 2006, was one of several Spaniards signed by..

RAFA BENÍTEZ

Of the 24 Spanish-born players to have made a first-team appearance for the Reds, 13 of them - Josemi, Antonio Nunez, Xabi Alonso, Luis Garcia, Fernando Morientes, Pepe Reina, Antonio Barragan, Miki Roque, Alvaro Arbeloa, Dani Pacheco, Fernando Torres, Albert Riera and Daniel Ayala - were signed by Rafa Benítez. But Rafa, Liverpool FC boss from 2004 to 2010, will forever be remembered for the Miracle of Istanbul in 2005 when he led the Reds to a fifth European Cup. Born in Madrid, he also guided the Reds to an FA Cup success in 2006 and even a 1-0 victory against Real Madrid CF at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2009. Benítez is now the manager of…

RC CELTA DE VIGO

The Galicia-based La Liga club earned a piece of history when they became the first Spanish club to beat Liverpool FC at Anfield in December 1998, winning 1-0 in the UEFA Cup. In the RC Celta de Vigo side that day was Brazilian midfielder Mazinho, father of Thiago Alcantâra, and captaining Celta now is former Liverpool FC forward Iago Aspas - who was part of Brendan Rodgers’ 2013/14 squad alongside fellow Spaniard Luis Alberto. Right-back Javier Manquillo, who played in the same Reds side as left-back Alberto Moreno during season 2014/15, is also at Celta, who happen to be the former club of…

STEFAN BAJČETIĆ

Injury may have disrupted the talented teenager’s season, but Vigo-born Stefan Bajčetić made a huge impact last season in his 19 appearances and scored his first Liverpool FC goal during a 3-1 win at Aston Villa FC. “When I see the pictures of last season I think ‘wow, I did well,’” he told the Official Liverpool FC matchday programme. “It didn’t feel that natural at first because I was playing with big, big players, but it was good!” Bajčetić is one of three Spaniards in Jürgen Klopp’s first-team squad along with Adrian and…

THIAGO ALCÂNTARA

Like Stefan Bajčetić, Thiago’s season has also been disrupted through injury but history shows that when he’s on the pitch success is never too far away. During his time at FC Barcelona, FC Bayern Munich and Liverpool FC, the Spanish playmaker lifted silverware in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 to become one of the most decorated players in the game. Here’s hoping there’s more to follow at the end of 2024…