Liverpool’s European domination continues after UEFA.com released their fans’ Team of the Year for 2019 that included five of the Reds’ Champions League-winning squad.
Liverpool’s English midfielder Jordan Henderson (C) lifts the trophy after winning the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup Final football match between England’s Liverpool and Brazil’s Flamengo at the Khalifa International Stadium in the Qatari capital Doha on December 21, 2019. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)
Following a voting system that allows supporters to pick their best XI across Europe unsurprisingly, Jurgen Klopp’s players cleaned up the awards for 2019.
After a record-breaking campaign that saw Liverpool claim a sixth European Cup as well as their best-ever Premier League points haul of 97 that saw them miss out on the league by a solitary point, inevitably just under half of the continent’s best XI is littered with Reds stars.
UEFA Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or runner-up Virgil van Dijk completes a defensive set-up alongside FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year Alisson Becker whilst full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson also feature.
African Player of the Year Sadio Mane makes up an attacking quartet that also features Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski.
MADRID, SPAIN – JUNE 01: Jordan Henderson of Liverpool lifts the Champions League Trophy after winning the UEFA Champions League Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on June 01, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
What RTK has to say
Perhaps the biggest surprise regarding the team is that only five of Liverpool’s record-shattering squad have featured amongst some of Europe’s finest talents.
Mohamed Salah could be considered hard done by after being snubbed from the XI following another phenomenal calendar year. The Egyptian winger shared the Premier League Golden Boot alongside teammate Mane and also scored the opening goal in the Champions League final victory against Spurs.
Jordan Henderson is another player who perhaps could have been included. The Liverpool captain was recently named as the England national team’s Player of the Year for 2019 and recently became the club’s fifth-ever captain to lift Ole Big Ears following in the footsteps of Emlyn Hughes, Graeme Souness, Phil Thompson and Steven Gerrard.