Among others, Liverpool have released goalkeeping icon and coach Claudio Taffarel with many online concerned how it will affect Alisson Becker.
In announcement made on all their channels, Liverpool have confirmed that Taffarel and Fabian Otte will no longer form part of their coaching team.
It’s a surprising announcement but on its own, it’s not necessarily cause for concern.
However, resurfacing comments from former Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg suggests it could be a reason for Alisson to leave the club.
Bidding farewell to the Reds' goalkeeping department ahead of the next campaign are both Fabian Otte and Claudio Taffarel.
Everyone at LFC thanks Fabian and Claudio for their contributions and wishes them the best for the future ?
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 2, 2025
Achterberg once said that if Liverpool get rid of Taffarel, they essentially be telling Allison to find a new club
That sounds dramatic, doesn’t it?
Well, to be fair, Achterberg often erred on the side of hyperbole in interviews but let’s take a look.
Liverpool released Achterberg last summer and upon departure, he gave an interview to Empire of the Kop and claimed that had the club also bid farewell to Taffarel, it likely would have signalled the end of Alisson’s time at Anfield.
He said: “It’s a good thing to do. In the end, it was the right thing as well, because obviously Liverpool wanted to change the whole department basically.
“They were smart to at least keep Taffarel, because if they would also change Taffarel, they probably would have told Ali to find a new club basically. You have to be smart as well. It’s good, because Taffa’s a really good guy and it’s perfect that he’s there for them.”
Taffarel departure is a shock. Could have effect on Alisson’s future?
This was Achterberg on Taffarel/Alisson last year:
“They were smart to at least keep Taffarel, because if they would also change Taffarel, they probably would have told Ali to find a new club basically.” https://t.co/DsNklcG9do
— Jack Sear (@JackSear) July 2, 2025
Unpacking this a bit further
Not only does Taffarel share culture and heritage with Alisson, but the 57-year-old joined the Liverpool coaching staff at the player’s personal request.
His departure by no means guarantees Alisson will leave the club at the end of the coming season but it does beg the question.
Arne Slot will likely be asked the question when he returns for pre-season bye before then, it would be good to hear from a reliable source if there is anything to worry about.