Due to some sporadic runs of form and a very big helping hand from the footballing Gods, Liverpool found themselves qualifying for this season’s Champions League and so the dream of more European nights at Anfield again became reality. For all of us Reds supporters and club it’s the bare minimum requirement, and this writer has been luckily enough to have watched all six finals that Liverpool won, the first in 1977 when I was eight years old.
More importantly in the present moment, Wednesday evening
is going to be the very first European game for head coach Andoni Iraola as head coach of any club, and let’s hope that it will be even more than he could ever imagine because it’s at Anfield and against one of the most difficult opponents in the Champions League in recent years in Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
Everyone involved in European football probably knows about those Famous European Nights at Anfield under the lights, but it’s not all up to the supporters—the players will need to start in the right mood as they did against Ipswich, with intensity from the first whistle but unlike in that game the players won’t be allowed to ease up until the final whistle is blown.
There is history between Liverpool and Atleti, with the Reds winning three of the seven times the clubs have faced off in the Champions League whilst Atletico have won two and then two draws between them. More than the match ups being fairly even there are the tough tactics of Simeone, who has a knack of getting under the skin of opposing managers as well his players being very physical in their play. It’s going to be an interesting test for Iraola and the players but especially Liverpool’s head coach as this will be his first experience of the Champions league and a congested fixture list.
“Big game, the first Champions League for me as a coach,” Iraola noted during the post-Ipswich match interviews when he was asked about the approaching match against Atletico. “At Anfield, under the lights. I love to play at night.”
Of course Iraola will have a lot more to say at the pre match presser but in those few words there was the sense of eagerness to take on the challenge and relish every moment while also doing everything he can to help the players get the 26/27 Champions league campaign off to a great start with a win.
On Liverpool’s head coaches side are some experienced players who have seen it all before including back-to-back Champions league winner in new signing Bradley Barcola, loan signing Ronald Araujo and Reds captain Virgil van Dijk who helped Jurgen Klopp to his one winner’s medal after being the losing side’s manager twice before (and once again after).
Even though both Barcola and Araujo have experienced it all before they haven’t been players of Liverpool and this writer can only imagine how they and Iraola must be looking forward to being roared on by the Anfield faithful. It brings chills of anticipation as if the spirit of those famous Anfield European nights is calling out for us all to send our passion for the Reds from wherever in the world we will be watching on. This writer wishes there were a group of fellow Liverpool supporters close to where I live so it could be a shared experience as we scream at poor officiating, singing with the Kop from a pub or house and hopefully reveling in another glorious victory.
The only thing that will try and spoil the fun is Simeone who will instruct his players to do whatever they can to break the rhythm of the game in ways that suits his players and will not allow them to back down even if behind. This is where Iraola needs to bring his passion and belief which shouldn’t be in question because, as he made clear in the first interview when hired, he wants to earn his place amongst the Liverpool supporters.
That doesn’t come across as a man who is burdened by the weight of being Liverpool’s head coach but rather a man who is excited to have the role and face the challenge of bringing further success to this club that we all love so much.
