Liverpool midfielder Fabinho is one of the many players who left Brazil early in their career and didn’t previously get much recognition in his own country.
However, now playing for a top European club, there’s obviously many more people watching him, especially when he has a great game against Manchester United.
Fabinho was interviewed by Globo Esporte this week, and had a lot to say about the game where he was picked as man of the match.
“I found it different. During the week, I gave some interviews around here, and everyone was talking about the importance of the classic,” Fabinho told Globo Esporte. “I had an idea, but I could feel it on the pitch. I had already played against Everton, but the rivalry is even bigger against United. Neighboring cities, two of the biggest English winners… And still it had the fact that Liverpool hadn’t beaten them in a long time.”
It was also a special game for Fabinho as he made his first assist with Liverpool’s shirt. That’s something he claims to be working on.
“It’s a thing I always try to perfect, to train. I get a lot of front ball, in a position that normally the opponent’s defense is making the move outwards, and our attackers are getting in. I saw Mané making the sign with his hand and I launched it. It was a good pass.”
On Alisson’s mistake, Fabinho told Globo Esporte that he didn’t make a big deal out of it, and it was actually the goalkeeper who came to talk about it.
“Normal game play. When we entered the locker room, we even talked, but I did not even focus on that. He came to comment, but I said “no, bro, let it go”. These plays will always happen. And what are we going to talk about Alisson? He was very important in our qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League, days before. Without a doubt, he is the best goalkeeper of the English League. There is a lot of confidence.”
Fabinho has also talked about how nice the squad is, and how easier it is to adapt to a team which has Portuguese and Spanish speakers.
“The squad is all good people. When I arrived, the English knew that I did not speak much of the language, but even so, they tried to find a way to communicate. They made some gestures, tried a few words in Spanish. At the time, Firmino was with the national team, preparing for the World Cup, but we had already talked, he treated me very well. Then, when Alisson arrived, it got even better. It’s good to have people from our country, who speak our language, we are more comfortable. Alberto Moreno was also a guy who helped me a lot.”
