Liverpool’s announcement this week that Taffarel would be joining the club as part of the coaching staff has been getting big coverage in Brazil, where the goalkeeper still gets lots of love for his deeds in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.
So as ESPN Brasil reporter Natali Gedra was at Goodison Park for the Merseyside derby last night, she spoke to Jurgen Klopp and asked him about this new signing.
The journalist quizzed the manager about the process of hiring Taffarel and if Alisson had any influence on his arrival. The Liverpool boss made a few jokes about it.
“No, we surprised Ali with that (laughs). No, of course he was in,” Klopp told ESPN Brasil.
“We really have a big idea with the club in general. So in these six and a half years I’ve been at the club, I try to improve as much as I can which will sustain when I’m not there any longer as well. So I think we have in the moment an incredible group of goalkeepers. That’s really important.”
“[We want] Taffarel’s experience and we want the goalkeeping school from that club. Because obviously Ali and Taffarel are from the same club, same area. We’re really excited about that. He’s a great guy. And he’s a bit older than me, so now I’m not the oldest in the coaching staff anymore, which is very important reasons why.”
Taffarel and Alisson came from Internacional’s youth ranks and have known each other for a long time, as they’ve been working together at the Brazilian national team too.
The Liverpool goalkeeper can certainly get a lot of inspiration from his idol, as Taffarel was a starter for Brazil in three World Cups, having won one in a penalty shoot-out in 1994. Alisson was so far the number one choice in 2018, and now has a fierce fight with Ederson for the starting spot next year.
