Sadio Mane Q&A: Salzburg reunion, season ambitions and more
Sadio Mane will put sentimentality to one side when Liverpool host Salzburg in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The Reds forward spent just over two years with the Austrian club before moving to the Premier League with Southampton in 2014.
Mane is now set to face his old team on the second matchday of Group E as Liverpool aim to register their first points after defeat in Naples last month.
The Senegal international joined Jürgen Klopp at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday – read a transcript of his chat with the media below…
On whether the Premier League title race or Liverpool’s Champions League defence is more important…
Good question. For sure, I will say both because both are important for me. And both are our target. We are Liverpool, we are a great team, so I don’t think we should have a problem about it. We have nothing to lose so we can’t put ourselves under pressure. I will say both – and we will fight for both.
On whether Liverpool are better this season than last season…
I would say we are better this season than last season, for sure. That’s why we are working every single day harder and harder to get better and better each season. We are more mature than last season, for sure. I would say, yes.
On his relationship with Mohamed Salah…
Wow, what a question! Things can happen in football. I was a little bit frustrated [at Burnley in August] because it’s football and you want to score more goals. You can see Man City [winning] 8-0, 7-0, 6-0. For the team, I thought it was really important for us to score as many goals as we could. But it can happen – he didn’t see me. I was a bit frustrated but we have become really, really good friends. It’s all forgotten, it’s behind us.
On the strength of the Austrian league...
The league is, of course, a good league. I played there for two-and-a-half years and for sure I met great people there – great staff, a great team and a great club. As a human I learned a lot, and as a football player also. They are a really, really good team and are doing very well. They need big respect because they are top of the group. We’re expecting a very, very difficult game tomorrow. We will do everything to get a positive result.
On Salzburg’s promising talents…
I sometimes watch the Austrian league at home and especially when Salzburg play, there are really good players. They have a few good players in the team, so it’s really important for us to be careful. They have a good team and the boys are always hungry to get better and better. In a few years they can become great players.
On whether he considers it ‘special’ to face his former club…
Of course it’s a special game for me. I was playing there for two-and-a-half years and now I’m going to play against them. They will be ready for me and I will be ready for them as well. I love the city and the club – before and still now. I will be really happy to meet my ex-teammates. But at the same time, I would love to win against them.
On Virgil van Dijk’s influence at Liverpool…
We’re really happy to have Virgil in this club, for sure. I’m really happy for him, he’s doing well for us, he’s doing a great job – winning every single ball and always passes good balls to me! And all the other boys: Robbo, Trent, Matip, Lovren, all the boys are doing very well, and the midfield as well. Liverpool is all about the team and we’re always happy to play alongside each other, which is really important for us.