Kostas Tsimikas was named Liverpool captain in the 6-3 win over LASK in the Champions League
Kostas Tsimikas captained Liverpool against LASK.
Kostas Tsimikas captained Liverpool against LASK.(Image: Photo by Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
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Kostas Tsimikas posted an emotional message after captaining Liverpool in their 6-3 win over LASK in the Champions League.
Summer signing Bradley Barcola was the pick of the bunch as he scored his first goals for the club in a memorable treble. There were three other different scorers with Lewis Koumas finding the back of the net after Ronald Araujo and Jeremie Frimpong.
It was a much-changed Liverpool side from Andoni Iraola but there was a glut of senior players featuring in Austria with vice-captain Alisson Becker named as the starting goalkeeper. Despite Alisson being among the leadership team with Virgil van Dijk, who was a second-half substitute, the Greek international got the nod for the armband.
In an emotional post to Instagram, Tsimikas said: "Representing my dream club, on a Champions League night, as a captain, with a win and some assists serving?! Little Kostas , we made it happen kid.
READ MORE: 'Not the right thing' - Andoni Iraola explains why he was reluctant to make Liverpool double change
"Never stop dreaming and believing guys. Dreams can come true. I made some of mine come true today and it feels great. I am so grateful."
The decision to snub Alisson raised some eyebrows among supporters on social media after Tsimikas was preferred as the man with the armbamd over the senior Brazilian shot-stopper.
Under the new 'Only the Captain' rules in the Premier League and across English football, referees can explain key decisions but only to the captains.
While normal interactions with players remain, referees will explain decisions to captain(s) and/or the player(s) involved in an incident.
For goalkeepers, it is a different prospect as they would be made to discuss incidents with the referee at the other end of the pitch.
Away to alleviate any potential issues, a player is nominated to approach the referee instead of the captain. But Liverpool have moved to keep Brazilian in the leadership team within the Reds but on-field, he will not occupy the armband.
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Alisson Becker before Liverpool's Champions League tie against LASK
Alisson Becker before Liverpool's Champions League tie against LASK(Image: (Branislav Racko / AFP via Getty Images))
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At the beginning of the season, Iraola said: “The captains will be Virgil, will be Alisson, will be Joe Gomez, and Dom Szoboszlai.
“Because if something happens in the opposition box the referee has to explain to the captains what’s happening, all the decisions.
“I had one season with [goalkeeper] Neto [as captain] in Bournemouth and then you have to start every game to say a different player that can act as a captain, and this is not viable.
“But I wanted him to feel like we value him. I’ve had enough time and we will have more time to know each other, but I had to explain also the decision about the armband to Ali because he is a keeper and, unfortunately, they are putting the rules in a way that there is a lot of disadvantages to having a keeper as a captain."