Roberto Firmino has had eight seasons full of ups and downs at the Liverpool club. During this time, he saw the peak of the rise as well as the sudden fall. Yet these eight years have given Liverpool’s number nine position a new meaning. Even after being in England for such a long time, he cannot speak much English, rarely gave an interview. A Liverpool Legend Saying Goodbye After 8 Years At The Club However, due to his humble nature, he has become a favorite of fans. Today we will hear the story of Liverpool legend Roberto Firmino.
How it was Started
And like all great football stories, Roberto Firmino’s start at Liverpool was not an easy one. After a disastrous 2014/15 season as a team, coach Brendan Rodgers wanted to sign a number nine. His first choice was then Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke. A Liverpool Legend Saying Goodbye After 8 Years At The Club However, the sporting department of the Liverpool board wanted to buy Roberto Firmino from German club Hoffenheim. Coaches and sporting directors had a great disagreement over this. Liverpool eventually bought both. The All Reds had to spend 29 million euros to buy Firmino.
However, as the coach’s first choice was Christian Benteke, most of the time Roberto Firmino had to sit on the bench. And even if he got on the field, he could not play in his preferred position. When Brendan Rodgers was sacked in October 2015, Jurgen Klopp took over as coach.
Roberto Firmino was Best under Klopp
The German coach’s appointment comes as a blessing for Roberto Firmino. Klopp started playing him in the center forward position in the first eleven. Firmino scored his first goal in an All Reds jersey against Manchester City. Roberto Firmino wasn’t just a D-box focused player like the classic number nine. Instead, he would drop down to help create attacks, and if he didn’t have the ball at his feet, he would pressure the opposition to take the ball away. He did not hesitate to work extra hard and change positions to help his teammates. Using his skills and mentality, Klopp built one of the best attacking trios in Liverpool’s history.
The Firmino-Salah-Mane Trio
Sadio Mane joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2016 and Mohamed Salah was brought in from Roma in Italy a few years later. The three together form a trio where one complements the other. The trio scored 91 goals in the 2017/18 season which took them to the Champions League final. The following season they scored a combined 69 goals and this time they won the Champions League title. Despite scoring 57 goals in the 2019/20 season, Liverpool won the Premier League trophy after 30 years.
The trio was broken up when Sadio Mane joined Bayern Munich in 2022, but 338 goals in five seasons cemented their name on the green grass at Anfield. Firmino also no longer seemed devastating after Sadio Mane left. Yet fans love him as much as ever. So a few days ago, when Firmino came to the field, Liverpool fans cheered Enfield with the slogan “Si SeƱor” or the best in the world. However, Roberto Firmino has decided to leave Liverpool at the end of this season.
Why Firmino is Leaving
However, Coach Jurgen Klopp wants him to stay at Liverpool for one more season. Still, Firmino feels now is the right time to say goodbye to Liverpool. Despite being only 32, the Brazilian forward no longer considers himself indispensable to Liverpool after spending much of last season and this season injured. Roberto Firmino spent eight years at Liverpool and played 361 matches. Scored 109 goals, assisted 72 and won 6 trophies.