Whether you win tonight (Saturday) at 22:00 in the Champions League or not, Liverpool have experienced a crazy season. The League Cup and the English Cup are already in her closet, she lost the championship title after a dramatic battle against Manchester City and although she earned 92 points throughout the season and at the Parc de France stadium in Paris she can lift another trophy, the one with the big ears, when she faces the league final The champions against Real Madrid.
Jürgen Klopp’s Mighty Reds do not compromise on “just” a crazy season, they want a dream one, but in order to win the most prestigious factory in Europe they will have to beat the Blancos, whom they lost in the previous final where they met in 2018. In that final remember Loris Carius provided a horror show and gave the team from the Spanish capital the trophy, but there was also one player who gave hope to the English that evening, Sadio Mane, and this time in Paris he does not want to give hope, he wants to be the man to bring the trophy.
“I have a chance to be a footballer”
Mana was born in Bambali, Sedgio, Senegal, and from an early age used to spend most of his time with the ball. His family was not a big fan of the matter, saw it as no more a hobby and even argued to him that he should pursue another profession, but there was love between little Sadio Mana and football and he did not agree to give it up easily.
“I was born in a village that never had a footballer who was successful on the big stages,” the Senegalese said in the past. “I remember when I was little my parents thought I had to study to be a teacher. The only one that will allow me to help you and I think I have a chance to be a footballer. “
At the age of 15, Sadio Mana took his uncle and embarked on an 800-kilometer journey to the Senegalese capital, Dakar, only to be tested at the highest levels in his country. The young boy, who left his family and chased after his dream, received judging glances at the sorties because of the torn shoes he wore and the pants that did not fit the industry, but Mana knew he could prove on the field, and so he did. At the end of those exams, the young man won praise, was accepted to an academy in the city and the future is already known to everyone.
“Now I can help people”
Today Mana is among the most prominent players in the football world when he has been in Liverpool for six years and eight in total in the Premier League, but despite the tremendous successes the Mighty Reds attacking player has not forgotten where he came from, contributing at every opportunity and mostly remaining modest.
Sadio Mane and Milner happy at the end of the game (Reuters)In an interview with Senegal Mana stated that his main goal was to become a well-known footballer to help people around the world: “Why would I want 10 Ferrari, 20 diamond watches and two jets? What would it do to the world? I was hungry, worked in the fields, played barefoot and did not go to school. Now I can help people.I prefer to build schools and give the poor food or clothing.I have built schools and a stadium.We provide clothes, shoes and food to people in extreme poverty.In addition, I give 70 Euros every month to people from very poor area in Senegal to contribute to their family economy “
His journey from a small, remote town in Senegal to the top of football was not easy, and included poverty and a family that did not support his dream, but Mana believed in himself, more than everyone else believed, and knew he would be the one in a million, he would succeed. The talent still tends to visit the village where he was born, built a hospital in the area, gives quite a few footballers around the world a lesson in modesty time and time again and proves that nothing stands in the way of desire.
Sadio Mana and Senegal players in warm-up (Reuters)“A dream moment for us, enjoy it”
Sadio Mane had a great season, finishing with 17 goals in the Premier League, scoring two critical goals in the English Cup as Liverpool beat City 2-3 in the semi-finals and meanwhile he has five goals in the Champions League, a figure he will want to improve tonight. The Senegalese even starred in the international arena, leading his team to the first ever victory in the Africa Cup of Nations and qualifying for the World Cup, when these two achievements came at the expense of Egypt, the team of his teammate Muhammad Salah.
Out of the immense respect he has for the Egyptian and knowing how hard it is to be defeated, Mana consoled Salah after the Africa Cup of Nations final and shared: “I told him he remains a very big player and it is a pleasure to play with him at the same club. I have so much respect for him and he gave everything for his country. ” Even in the happiest moment of his life after leading his country to an exciting title, he did not forget whoever was next to him in the group and was there for him.
Sadio Mana and Muhammad Salah Celebrate (Reuters)Mana, who is sometimes in the shadow of the Egyptian, wants to be the hero of his team, prove he is the man in the crucial moments and award another title to Liorgen Klopp. The Senegalese conveyed confidence before the grand final and said: “We forgot what was in 2018. I will arrive calm, without pressure, nothing, just enjoy it. I think this will be a dream moment for us, so let’s enjoy it without putting pressure on ourselves. Everyone is smiling and confident, which is amazing. We know it will not be an easy game and we are against one of the best teams in the world, but it will make the game special. “
“I would love to win the Golden Ball”
This year’s Golden Ball ceremony will be held on October 17 and the prize will be awarded solely on the basis of the current season’s performance and not on the calendar year and with most gamblers putting their money on Karim Benzema, there is another candidate worthy of the title. Sadio Mane may complete an extraordinary season with tremendous achievements with his team and with Liverpool, especially if the season ends with a trophy with the big ears thanks to the mesmerizing ability of the Senegalese on the pitch.
Golden Ball (Reuters)The 30-year-old is not sure he will continue at Liverpool next season and is one of the hottest names in the transfer window ahead of this coming summer. Mane confirmed in a pre-final interview that he may leave and that he will update on his future after the meeting against Real Madrid and in truth, it will be a big loss for Jürgen Klopp and the Mighty Reds if he gets to another team.
Among the teams staring at the star are Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and even the Blancos, but he does not intend to let the future influence what will happen in the battle for the trophy and stated that he is attacking the title: “My goal in Liverpool this season was to win four trophies. We won two and lost one. Now it’s time for the Champions League, we’ll come to win it and then see what happens. “There is no doubt that I would be very happy to win the Champions League and the Golden Ball.”
Klopp and Mana Celebrate (Reuters)His quality performance on the grass in Paris will prove that he is not Salah’s shadow, but a great player in his own right who arrives in the decisive moments, whether it is in the African Championship final or in the Champions League final. Mana knows what he’s worth, he’s known it since he was a kid and believed in himself when the others tried to take it down. He works hard, stays humble and never stops dreaming and it is possible that these qualities will lead him to embrace a prestigious trophy and perhaps even receive the coronation: “the best in the world”. If he conquers and wins, he certainly deserves it.