Fabinho Hossam Aouar Ittihad
Former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho reminisced about his time at Anfield, while spilling details on his painful exit from the club, as he joined Saudi Pro League giants Al-Ittihad in 2023. The Brazilian spent five years at the Merseyside club, where he won multiple trophies, including the Champions League in his maiden campaign and the Premier League title in the subsequent season.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Fabinho's departure raised quite a few eyebrows as he was almost always a regular starter under then-manager Jurgen Klopp and featured in 219 matches across all competitions in five seasons. Now, two years since his painful exit from Anfield, the 31-year-old has revealed what exactly happened behind the scenes.
WHAT FABINHO SAID
Speaking to The Guardian, the Selecao star said: "I didn’t want to leave the club and go to any other club in Europe. I thought it was the best place in the world to play, to keep developing as a player. I wanted my legacy and my history at the club to grow even more but our last season was very gruelling, tiring. We didn’t do well and failed to qualify for the Champions League. I lost my position as a starter for a few games, but that happens.
"I came back for the following season, even though the previous one hadn’t been good, with a very good mentality and wanting to fight for the Premier League title again. But before the season started, Al-Ittihad made an offer for me and the Liverpool directors said it was very good for the club and for me. I was afraid and decided to wait to see what [the coaching staff] would say. I thought I was an important player and that they would refuse any offer, but I realised that the club was open to selling me."
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool - Premier League
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Fabinho added, "He called me and asked me what I wanted. I said that I’d heard the offer and liked it but that I wanted to hear from him what he thought. He said that if there are any players who want to leave, he won’t hold them back. It was a speech that kind of opened the door for me to leave.
"That conversation with the coach could have kept me at the club but he left it open and I didn’t like it very much. I always like to do a prayer before I make my decisions. Liverpool is a club I love but the things that happened at the time steered my life towards Arabia. I left in peace and happy with my decision."
TELL ME MORE
Fabinho lastly spoke highly of his former club as he said: "Liverpool is a sensational club that helps us with everything. Not just on the pitch but in your life too. Everything they’ve done for me and my family has been spectacular; I’ve never seen anything like it. Everywhere you go, not only in England, the supporters show a lot of love for the club and the players."
Al-Ittihad v Fenerbahce - Pre-Season Friendly
WHAT NEXT FOR FABINHO?
Fabinho is likely to feature in Al-Ittihad's first competitive match of the new season as the reigning Saudi champions take on Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final on August 19.
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