Fabinho told Sadio Mane not to leave Liverpool this summer, as he could still win big trophies at the club.
Speaking to The Athletic, Fabinho said that he was desperate for Mane to stay at Liverpool, and tried to convince him to do so.
“At the end of the season, I spoke a lot with Sadio. He told me about the situation that he could leave,” said the 28-yearold. “I was always saying to him, ‘Come on Sadio, stay here. You can win the Premier League and the Champions League right here, don’t leave’. But I think he had already made his mind up. We had to respect that.”
Fabinho shared that the Liverpool squad knew that Mane may not be at the club much longer. As a result, they said their goodbyes to their long-time teammate after the bus parade through the city in May.
“Sadio had a really good story in a Liverpool shirt. He played for six years here and during that time he won everything you can win and he decided that he wanted a new challenge. That’s OK,” said the midfielder.
“After the parade in Liverpool, everyone said goodbye to him. We knew there was a good chance he would be leaving. I always kept some hope that he would still stay but then it was all confirmed. Losing Sadio is a big loss. He was one of our best players but it’s something that we can’t change. We have to deal with it. Now other players have to step up and take on greater responsibility.”
Mane not allowing himself to get too comfortable
Mane was obviously a hugely popular member of the Liverpool squad. Not only was it a wrench for his teammates to see him go, but it can’t have been an easy decision for the player himself, either.
But Mane has always been a player who wants to push and challenge himself. There are numerous stories of his dedication to self-improvement.
Looking back, perhaps there was no chance that a person with that mindset would allow himself to get too comfortable.
Having achieved what he did at Liverpool, and become one of the best players in the word, he felt the need to go. As Fabinho said, we have to respect that. Mane earned the right to leave Liverpool under his terms and that’s what he did.
Fabinho loving life in Liverpool
As for Fab, he’s going nowhere. ‘Flaco’ signed a long-term deal at Anfield last summer and reading his interview this morning he couldn’t be happier at the club.
With a baby on the way, Fabinho jokes that he hopes his Brazilian family can understand ‘a little Scouser.’ He and wife Rebeca have completely taken the club and the city to their hearts.
Now entering peak years, hopefully we’re about to see the best version of Fabinho. One of the main worries in the Liverpool squad is that there’s no direct replacement for the Brazilian.
As he moves towards his 30’s, Jurgen Klopp may soon have to start planning for life without our number 3. But not yet, he’s still one of the very best around and he’s here to stay.
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