Alisson Becker: Istanbul heroes inspire me and my teammates
Alisson Becker detailed the inspiration Liverpool's 2005 Champions League heroes provide the current squad ahead of Wednesday's meeting with AC Milan.
Jürgen Klopp's side kick off their 2021-22 campaign in the competition against the Serie A outfit, who were beaten by the Reds in Istanbul 16 years ago in a truly unforgettable final.
Alisson was an absorbed viewer of the spectacle – which Liverpool won on penalties after recovering from a 3-0 first-half deficit – as idols and fellow Brazilians Dida, Cafu and Kaka lined up for I Rossoneri.
Istanbul watchalong: Carra and Xabi relive greatest Champions League final
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Anfield Group B opener, Alisson recalled: "Dida was really an influence for me – not only for me but for all the Brazilian goalkeepers.
"The success he had in Europe, in Italy, he was really a role model for all goalkeepers – not only for Brazilians.
"But that game was an unbelievable game. Kaka [was] playing as well. I had the luck to meet them personally, to play together with them, to learn from them personally.
"So, that game was something amazing to see. It's something amazing to see even now, bringing back the memories.
"I think there are unbelievable memories for all LFC supporters. Those players are an inspiration for me and for all my teammates."
Read on for the rest of the goalkeeper's pre-match comments...
On what support the squad have given Harvey Elliott and the impact the injury has on the group...
What happens with Harvey is something that makes me really sad and all the players. It's difficult to deal with that when you are on the pitch. All the players have a big role to do to support him. We need to do our best to support him at this time, the medical staff obviously have to work hard to give him the best conditions to recover. But Harvey knows we are here for him whenever he needs [us]. We are really a unit. So when we celebrate together, we celebrate together. When an important player for us gets injured, we are kind of injured together with him.
On his assessment of the Reds' start to the season...
So far so good. I think we are having really good performances, bringing back the consistency that we used to have on the pitch. This is something really important for a team who wants to fight for the title, and I really believe this season will be one of the hardest of all the other seasons that I played so far. But we need to focus on ourselves. Don't look at the others too much because if you look at others, you lose the focus on yourself, you lose the focus on what you need to do in the challenges. I believe in my team, my teammates and our quality. I really believe we can fight for the title again.
On how well-equipped this Liverpool squad is to challenge for both the Premier League and Champions League...
As I said before, I really believe in my team, in my teammates and our qualities. Obviously we don't have the biggest list of players but we have the players we need to give a proper fight, to give [it] a proper try for the title. We need to just think game by game, match by match, focus always on the next challenge, focus on ourselves in what we need to do. Everybody needs to be ready for the time – even the players who are not playing so much so far. They need to be in a good shape because we will need everybody in the long-term perspective.
On how much he would love to win the Champions League again...
Myself and my teammates, we will try again really hard and start against AC Milan. It's a really hard opponent but we have our goals, our targets. First is going through [to] the next phase of the tournament but obviously the biggest goal in the Champions League is winning.
On whether he has thought back to his goal at West Bromwich Albion and how important it was to qualify for the Champions League...
That was good! It was a good feeling. I think everybody had a good feeling, even [those] who are not Liverpool supporters. I think I made a lot of people happy. But it was really important for the team as well and after I scored the goal, I [said] it would be even more important if we qualified for the Champions League. We are here now and I'm really happy about that. But I'm really sure what helped more wasn't just that goal, it was what the team put [in] every game to try to achieve the victory, to try to achieve the three points. Not only the goal brought us here but what we did during the season in a season that was really difficult for us.
On what it's like to have a fully-fit defence back in front of him...
Yes, it's really good to have them back in the team – not only for me but for everybody. Virgil, Joel, Joey, they are those kind of players who give you that feeling of safety. They can help us to bring the consistency that is a main part of our way to play. To win titles, you need a consistent team who plays in a consistent way and who defends in a consistent way. If you can have the clean sheet, you are halfway to a victory. So counting on them is really important for everybody. And Joel in the last match as well [showing] that he can contribute as a playmaker!
On how difficult it was to prepare for last week's match at Leeds United...
In the way things are going in the world in the last few years, I think we are prepared for all the situations. I think we learn a lot from this difficult time we are living. This week wasn't different. I wasn't sure if I will play or not but I just needed to be sure that I will be ready for the game. My preparation was the same as the other games, as the other matches. I'm really happy all the sides, all the parts worked together – the national teams, the clubs, the Premier League, FIFA – to bring a solution for this situation. Also, I really trust them – the club, the Premier League, FIFA and the national teams and the government – to find a solution for the next international break. That is something that we need to start speaking about now.