As Liverpool chase historic quadruple, Thiago has Jurgen Klopp’s side dancing to a different beat
- Few players in the game can match the Spanish midfielder’s success on the pitch
- Medal haul includes 11 league titles and Champions League glory with Barcelona and Bayern Munich
Liverpool’s football under Jurgen Klopp had already delivered a Champions League and Premier League title by the time Thiago Alcantara arrived at Anfield to much fanfare two years ago.
Few players in the history of the game can match the Spaniard’s medal haul that includes 11 league titles and Champions League glory with both Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
However, Thiago was not an obvious fit for Klopp’s fast and furious style of play and the energy-sapping demands he makes of his midfielders.
Initial scepticism was borne out during a difficult first year in England for the 31-year-old. Thiago was just one of Klopp’s key men to miss a large portion of the season because of injury.
Yet, even when he was fit, there was criticism that the man whose ability to put his foot on the ball and control the tempo of the game moved too slowly for Liverpool’s swashbuckling style.
“Thank God these people don’t make decisions,” Klopp said of the critics. “He [Thiago] was unlucky with injuries and stuff like this at the start, but when he is fit he can give the game a real rhythm.
“He’s got an eye for that, he calms the game down in the right moments, he has a sensational overview of the game.”