After Alberto Moreno’s recent interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, in which he spoke of previous difficulties with Jurgen Klopp and a f***** season, it’s probably fair to say Liverpool’s press department doesn’t jump for joy at the idea of the player speaking again in Spain.
But ahead of the Champions League match against Sevilla, that’s exactly what was likely to happen. Again chatting to Marca, Moreno has been frank, which is his character, but there’s not really much negativity in it for Liverpool.
The fullback says he misses the weather in Seville, but that goes without saying, what is slightly odder is that he also misses the smell.
Asked if he misses his home city, Moreno said: “Very much. I miss the sun, the ambience, even the smell.”
Ah, the waft of orange trees, blistering pavements and pork being cooked a thousand ways. Liverpool can’t really compare on that front.
On how he’ll feel playing against his former club, Moreno explained: “Strange and beautiful at the same time. All my family and friends will be in the stands, but I am a Liverpool player and every time I wear the Liverpool shirt I want us to win. There are no colours when Sevilla play against another team, I want them to win, obviously, but if we face each other, I’m sorry, I want the three points.”
Marca dropped in a question about Klopp and this time got a positive answer: “He has a lot of character, very sentimental and serious at times. In the day to day is someone cheerful, he jokes, but for the matches he’s transformed.”
The Spanish newspaper went on to question Moreno about Liverpool’s recent dip in Premier League form, and it’s certainly not something the Spaniard is worried about, given that Klopp now has his attack together: “What I think is that I wouldn’t like to face Mane, or Salah, or Coutinho, or Firmino.”
With Philippe Coutinho in the Spanish media every day, with regards to a Barcelona transfer, Marca wanted to know (without mentioning a figure) if the Brazilian is worth the high fee Liverpool are asking: “For me he is top, top, top and very young. People just watch him play, but I see him training and I can say he does things that I’ve never seen. There are times when we ask: ‘How did you do that?’ I hope he’s close to me all my life.”
Right now, Alberto Moreno sounds infectiously happy at Liverpool, and Klopp will hope it continues that way. However, one day, in the longer term, the 25 year old will surely look to return to Sevilla and see out the end of his career.