Sadio Mane
Sadio Mane says he will announce what his Liverpool future holds after the Champions League final. And the Reds star promised he will provide a “special” answer to questions over his contract impasse after laughing off speculation linking him with a move to European Cup final opponents Real Madrid this summer.
Sadio Mane said: “Honestly I think the answer I can give you now is I feel very good, and I am fully focused on the Saturday game, that is the answer I must give before the final. But come back to me on Saturday and I will give you the best answer you want to hear, for sure. It’s special. I will give you all you want to hear then. Saturday, come back and I will give you the answer I promise, but for now let’s go and win the Champions League because I have no time for other things. I will do everything possible to win it because it is my and all the boys’ biggest dream, then I will give you the answers. Good question! Mane laughed when asked if he would consider a move to Real Madrid. But what I want to say now is I am fully focused on the Champions League and winning it, which is far more important for me and the Liverpool fans. For me, I will do everything absolutely possible to win the game for Liverpool.”
After winning the League Cup and FA Cup in a memorable domestic season, Liverpool have the chance to end the 63-game campaign on a sensational note by wrapping up a treble in the French capital this weekend. Victory at the Stade de France would mark the Reds seventh European Cup and their second in three years under Klopp. Mane says the entire team head into the game in a relaxed mood and are not looking to use revenge as motivation after the 2018 final between the two teams saw Liverpool beaten 3-1 on a controversial night in Kyiv.
Sadio Mane added: “We are relaxed. No pressure at all. I think it is a dream moment for us. Let’s enjoy it without making pressure because it doesn’t help. You can see in the boys everyone has a smiling face and everyone is fully confident, which I think is amazing. We play one of the best teams in the world but that makes it more special. I think it is not about any revenge for myself. It is not even in my mind to take revenge to be honest. It is like any difficult game we are going to face on Saturday and for sure we will do everything possible to win this game because for us, it is the most important game of the season. We will do everything possible to win it. What happened [in 2018] happened years ago. In between I think we know how to deal with the games, we have more experience as a team. I think Mo [Salah] is just talking about what Mo thinks. In the four years a lot has changed in how we play the game, our experience – we have more experience and quality in the team. I think we all forgot about what happened in 2018, for sure Real Madrid were the better team and deserved to win the game. But it is going to be a different game. Like I always said, Real Madrid have always fully deserved to win the Champions League [in 2018]. They were the better team in that game. I have forgotten about it myself. It was four years ago, right? And there have been lots of changes, we have more quality in the team, and we know more how to win the big games, how to control them. We are a different team, and this will be a game that will be different from all the others, but it’s a normal game. We respect it, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Mane has been in excellent form since the turn of the year for both club and country. After helping Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations in early February, he also fired them to this year’s World Cup after they beat Egypt on penalties on both occasions. The 30-year-old has also thrived in a new role down the middle of Liverpool’s front three following the arrival of Luis Diaz. Mane has registered 23 goals for the campaign so far ahead of his 51st and final appearance on Saturday. As a result of his success, Mane has been spoken about as a potential Ballon d’Or recipient later this year, something he feels is a possibility if he becomes a European champion this weekend.
Sadio Mane said: “The target, my target and the target of all Liverpool Football Club, is to win four trophies. So far we have won two and missed one and we have the Champions League final to play. Then you have to decide [about the Ballon d’Or]. It’s true [the voting ignores African players]. If you guys say it, what can I say myself? Which is sad. This cup, the Africa Cup of Nations is one of the biggest for myself, it is the biggest trophy I have won in my life, and for an African player not to have won the Ballon d’Or since George Weah it is sad for sure. Winning the Champions League is special. I have a chance to play it again and we have a chance to win it as we have a strong team. We will do everything we can to win it and then we will see what happens, with the Ballon d’Or. I think myself and all the Liverpool players will have targets from the beginning of the season. Which is to go for all the trophies for sure, and so far we have won two, and missed one, which is behind us now, and Manchester City fully deserved it. And to win the Champions League I think would be special for me and for all the other boys, and this is what we focus on, and we have to do what we can to win…and the rest you guys have to decide. For me it would be even more special to have another bonus which is the Ballon d’Or, and I would be the happiest player in the world. It is one of the greatest moments for me, for sure. Honestly I’m really enjoying every single moment. The Champions League final will make it even more special if we win it. Two finals is something but you have to dream big and I am a player who dreams big. Playing a Champions League final I think is special and we need to make it even more special. We have the squad to do it. I would say one of the best seasons…so far! Because I won one of the most important things in my life, which is the Africa Cup for sure, and it gives me even more motivation to go on for the next step like the Champions League.”
