Konate on contract latest, form, pain and Lille
20/01/2025
Anfield, Liverpool, UK
20/01/2025
Anfield, Liverpool, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00I just wonder how you all felt for Darwin on Saturday.
00:29No, honestly, I'm very happy for him.
00:38I know he worked very hard to be there, to have this moment, and we know we need Darwin
00:44since the start of the season.
00:46And especially because I remember the game before in Forrest, I told him because he was
00:51suspended, I said to him, we really need you in this game, and he was laughing and what
00:56happened last game, it's just what I said to him, and he was very happy.
01:00For yourselves as well, it was the first clean sheet in the games that you've been involved
01:05in since you returned from injury.
01:07How did it feel to get that clean sheet, and how do you feel now?
01:10Do you feel that you're at full match sharpness, or is there a bit of a way to go still?
01:14No, for me especially, because I'm a defender, and for every defender on this team, it's
01:18very important for us to have a clean sheet, and we have done this, and I hope this will
01:23keep going.
01:24And me, yeah, I try to come back really 100 per cent, but I'm not because I rushed my
01:31comeback with my knee, but I've done this for my team, and I can die for this team then,
01:38it's fine.
01:39And my knee will come back really 100 per cent very soon, it's fine.
01:42Does that mean you're still having the auditions?
01:45I still have pain sometimes, but I play with painkillers, and it's enough for me to play.
01:50Are you not worried about it at all?
01:54I don't have to think about that, I just have to think about to play, and this will go away
01:58soon.
01:59Just finally then, what importance do you put on finishing top of the Champions League
02:02standings now, because you have the opportunity effectively with a win to secure that tomorrow
02:07night?
02:08Yeah, for sure, this is one of our targets to finish in the top of the Champions League,
02:13but this will start tomorrow again, because we play against Lille, Lille is a very good
02:18team, and we have to be ready, because they will come here to make a result against us,
02:24and we will try to have a 3-point tomorrow.
02:26Hi, I want to speak in French, no, you should be OK.
02:38You should be OK, but are you French?
02:41Yeah, I just wanted to know what you would think about Lille, if you know any of the
02:44players, are you close to any of the players?
02:47Well, close, not really.
02:51I don't really know a lot of Lille players, I know the goalkeepers, because they were
02:56in the national team last time around, but high quality team, they've been in quality
03:03for a long time, and this afternoon about all the players, they've been in the official
03:07team, and in the meantime, we've got lots of French players here, and so they have a
03:11what to expect tomorrow, and I know what to expect tomorrow.
03:15I know that they'll be coming to Anfield to get a good result, absolutely, and I think
03:18we need to be ready, we need to fully focus right from the very kick-off, right through
03:22to the end of the game.
03:28Just on the injury, did you have to convince the medics here that you were wanting to play,
03:34and was that as soon as you seen Joel get injured, you realised I need to get back here?
03:39No, honestly, I was very close to coming back anyway, the plan was for me to train on this
03:44week, but when I saw Joel with his injury, I was like, OK, I have to come back really
03:52quick and don't really think about my knee.
03:56For sure, the first game, I feel it a little bit, but the pain gets better day after day,
04:02then it's fine, it's enough for me to play and to have a good game as well.
04:08The physios and the medics, were they happy with you?
04:11Yeah, for sure, the physios and the medical staff have done a very good job for me,
04:16and every day, I spent I don't know how many hours at the club every day when I was injured,
04:23and I was very happy, and I thanked them with some cookies!
04:29They have done a very good job, and they will never take a risk with me,
04:34it was very me who was ready to play, but like I said, I play with a little bit of pain,
04:39but it's enough to play and to be ready as well.
04:45You close to signing your new contract?
04:48The club opened talks with you a few months ago, what's the latest?
04:55Who talked about that a few months ago?
04:58The club didn't say anything, I didn't say anything, it's one person said that,
05:02and I was not ready, I didn't know when he said that,
05:05but after I spoke with the club, I think I'm really focused on what happened now,
05:10and we will see what will happen.
05:13So have you been offered a deal?
05:15Yeah.
05:16And are you close to signing?
05:19This is another conversation!
05:22LAUGHTER
05:31Hi, you're in your fourth season here as a Liverpool player,
05:35and you've managed to score five goals in that time,
05:38now this is a team that's got lots of set-pieces,
05:41you had a really good chance in the game against Brentford,
05:44do you think this is an important part of developing as a player,
05:47to be able to be a threat in the opposing box as well as really good in your own box?
05:51Yeah, for sure, for sure, this is very important,
05:53especially for a defender, we want to keep a clean sheet always,
05:58and, yeah, like you said, I scored five goals,
06:01and I really hope more, because my target this season was to score four goals,
06:05I have two left, and if tomorrow I can score I will be very happy,
06:10but the more important now is to have a win with a clean sheet,
06:13and, oh, my God, it's OK, it's not important.
06:16Paul.
06:17Like Mo said, you're in your fourth season out of the club,
06:20and I think earlier this season you captained France,
06:23just wondering how much you feel you're growing in responsibility within this group,
06:27and do you really feel like you're becoming a leader now within the group?
06:30In the group of Liverpool?
06:32Yeah, I remember I came in this club when I was 21,
06:36I was really young and the players around me were older than me,
06:42and I think I grew up in every situation,
06:45like a human, like a player, and I take a lot of experience,
06:50and I think the club helped me a lot to be the captain of the French squad,
06:56and, yeah, it was a great moment for me,
07:00but it's just the start and I just have to work hard to be in this way.
07:08Chris.
07:09Did you think your partnership with Virgil is probably the best in Europe at the moment?
07:16This season, yeah, I think so, yeah.
07:20What is it about that you complement each other so well,
07:23how is it playing alongside a player like Virgil for you?
07:27No, for sure Virgil, everybody knows Virgil, everybody knows his quality,
07:31for me he's the best, no-one is better than him in this position,
07:36and for me, I learn a lot from him,
07:39from other players like Matip, Joe Gomez,
07:43there's other players who don't play in my position as well,
07:46and like I said to him always,
07:50I never said to him, but in interviews I said always,
07:53I just want to be better than him one day,
07:55and that's why I work hard to reach this level one day.
07:59What's Virgil say to that?
08:01No, no, no, I never said to him, I said in an interview,
08:05but no, he would be proud, I think.
08:10Karl.
08:13Hey, Abou, I guess due to the number of questions you've had
08:16about your injury and playing with pain,
08:18we see it as something unusual for you to do,
08:23but is that something that the squad generally does,
08:29because of the situation the club is in,
08:32all the trophies they're chasing,
08:34that the spirit within the squad means
08:36that players put themselves through a bit extra
08:39to get themselves through games when they're probably not fit?
08:42No, I don't think so.
08:44I just talk about my situation personally,
08:47and no, everyone will take his time to come back really fit to play,
08:54but no, no, no, I was just talking about me.
08:58What means, the togetherness of the squad
09:01means that people are willing to do that?
09:04Of course, yeah, for sure.
09:06I would not be surprised if someone did that,
09:09because everyone wants to fight for this club,
09:12wants to fight for fans,
09:14and at the end, if we reach something nice,
09:17we will be happy because we have done a sacrifice,
09:20we will be happy because we have done a sacrifice,
09:23and, yes.
09:31Hello, in French, if possible, for Voidinor.
09:35I just wanted to get back to Lille,
09:38you said what you think about the team already,
09:41have you been surprised by their progress?
09:44How have you been in a team like Real Madrid?
09:46And if you're surprised, what surprised you most?
09:49Well, no, I'm not surprised at all.
09:52Honestly, I'm not surprised at all, I promise.
09:55Perhaps their opponents underestimated Lille,
09:58thinking it's the game.
10:00Because, you know, when you look at Lille against Real Madrid,
10:03well, Real Madrid will probably show that they win,
10:06but a lot of people think that that's important
10:09that you're getting them to play.
10:11It's a great atmosphere, it's a different atmosphere.
10:14The match just gives you a different type of energy,
10:17you have to be ready to play the game.
10:20I think what they've been doing since the beginning of the season
10:23is fantastic, and I'm really pleased for that,
10:26for France to do that for so long.
10:28But they've been doing that, they've been playing well
10:30for quite a few years now, haven't they?