With Liverpool spending a couple of days in Spain to face Atletico Madrid for the first leg of the Champions League’s round-of-16, midfielder Fabinho has spoken to the local media.
The Brazilian was interviewed by newspaper El País, and talked a lot about how Jurgen Klopp has built such a successful team.
Fabinho was first asked about which Liverpool players motivate the others most, and he could think of two.
“Henderson and Milner know how to transmit it. The team is receptive because it’s very professional. I know that professionalism presupposes this,” Fabinho told El País.
“But for the team it’s incredible that their three stars, Mané, Salah and Firmino, are inexhaustible. They are an hour early in the gym every day. They always want more!”
Asked specifically about Virgil Van Dijk, Fabinho talked a little about how the Dutchman likes to do his job in defence.
The Brazilian also explained the importance that Liverpool’s fullbacks Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold have for the team.
“With the quality they have, they can go forward as much as they want because I’ll be protecting their wings. They always help us a lot in games. Both in the construction of the plays and with assists and goals. Their crosses have great precision and they spend 90 minutes coming and going. My role is to cover them. When we attack on the left, I take care of Robertson’s back; and when the ball is on the right I take care of Alexander-Arnold’s. If I don’t have time, then the one that covers is a central defender. The three left behind have to make these decisions according to how we see the game.”
Fabinho was asked if the training sessions in England have been harder than in Spain or France, and he has no doubt about that.
“Yes. The intensity is incredible. Always with the ball. With the passing of time you end up liking it. When I arrived I asked Firmino: ‘Do you always train like this here?’ I wasn’t used to it. It was crazy. Not because we trained many hours but because of the intensity. I enjoy it now. If I stop I suffer. I talk to my teammates and we say that if we slow down we need to raise it, that when we rest we miss the intensity.”
On the pressure that Liverpool put on their opponents, Fabinho said: “It’s trained. But there are situations that you cannot train. Sometimes players appear free in areas that generate doubts. For example, when the number ten of the opposing team goes down to start ahead of their defence. If the situation isn’t foreseen, I have to make the decision. If I see that more than one partner of mine jumps under pressure, I must also go to not let them run alone. If I see that only one goes up and we are rather back, I go behind. The reading has to be fast.”
