Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has admitted that he purposefully sat out of Liverpool’s fixtures toward the end of the season.
He missed nearly three months of action after an injury in the warm-up of Liverpool’s clash against Galatasaray in the Champions League Round of 16 in February.
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The Brazilian missed seven consecutive Premier League games before returning for the final game of the season vs Brentford.
Speaking to Brazilian outlet Estadão (via Sport Witness), the shot stopper has revealed that it was all part of the plan to be fit for the World Cup campaign with his nation:
“I’m 100%. Missing games for Liverpool was part of the plan to make sure I was ready for the World Cup,” he said.
“Everyone knows I spent a period out before the World Cup, but also very much because of arriving at the World Cup 100%. I said before: the important thing is how we arrive at the World Cup.”
“I am my biggest critic,” he said. “No one will criticise me more than I do. But my criticism is based on day-to-day facts, technical and psychological reading. No one knows me better than I do.”
He added on the fact that the Brazil national team is not in its best moment:
“It’s good that the national team arrives questioned,” he said. “That doesn’t haunt me. I know I’m on the right path. Sometimes, on the pitch, things don’t happen as we would like. Maybe if we had won more, the perception would be different.”
“What bothers me most is not having won [the World Cup]. There is always that feeling that you could have done something different.”
There was plenty of speculation that the Brazilian could move to Juventus. The Italian giants made him their top target, but he’s now set to stay after the Anfield club formally told him that they are still counting on him for 2026/27.
Alisson continued on his World Cup hopes:
“My focus is on this World Cup,” he said. “I will face it as if it were the last opportunity. I have learned this in life, to live each day. My focus is on this time. It is a huge opportunity to live another World Cup.”
“I feel honoured to reach this mark of goalkeepers who were in three World Cups.”
“I want to enter the other group,” he said. “I want to be among the World Cup champions. With the other 25 called-up players. That is my focus and the most important thing at the moment.”