'I kept saying "do you believe in magic?" - and magic delivered'
"All I kept saying was, 'do you believe in magic?'."
Standing in front of 10,000 Arsenal fans outside Emirates Stadium on Monday, childhood fan Leah Williamson took to the microphone with a Champions League winners medal around her neck.
Stina Blackstenius scored the only goal as Renee Slegers' side stunned European giants Barcelona to win their first European title in 18 years.
Arsenal may have been the underdogs heading into Saturday's final against a Barca side chasing a third successive Champions League title, but Williamson always believed.
"I've been saying the whole time, all my team-mates will tell you all I kept saying was 'do you believe in magic?'," she said. "That's what I could feel.
"I knew it was going to happen against Lyon, I knew it was going to happen in the final. And magic delivered."
Williamson joined Arsenal at the age of eight and was mascot when Arsenal last won the competition in 2007.
Interviewed on stage by her close friend and scorer of Arsenal's 2007 Champions League-winning goal, Alex Scott, the 28-year-old had a lump in her throat as she addressed the crowd.
"We knew it was going to be a special day but when we all walked out today we said 'this is one of those moments'. This is one of the moments I'll tell my grandkids about.
"I have been educated my whole life and seen with my own two eyes how successful Arsenal have been, especially Arsenal women. All I ever wanted to do was be a part of it. It's very special.
"My club. My Arsenal. Champions League winners. European champions."
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There were grey skies over north London on Monday, but the sea of red and white as fans packed out Armoury Square in their thousands was a sight to behold.
The celebrations were limited to a 10,000 capacity for safety reasons but fans turned out in their droves, some of which arrived as early at 06:00 BST to ensure they secured their spot.
Arsenal's club dog Win - brought to the club by men's boss Mikel Arteta to develop the family atmosphere - was front and centre as Beth Mead held him during the event.
Left-back Katie McCabe was living her best life as she took to the microphone to lead the karaoke, with Sweet Caroline, Freed From Desire and Simply the Best among the songs belted out by players and fans alike.
"I've been with these girls for nearly 10 years," McCabe said when addressing the crowd. "Red is in my blood.
"These group of girls is everything you need in a team and that is why we did it on Saturday night in Lisbon."
Arsenal remain the only English club to win the Women's Champions League and now avoid going through the qualification rounds for next season's competition, going straight into the group phase as holders.
The Gunners' triumph in Lisbon is even more remarkable given their turbulent start to the season. They won only on of their opening four league games and lost the first leg of their first round Champions League qualifying match.
Boss Jonas Eidevall resigned in October, with Slegers appointed as interim to steady the ship, before being given the job on a permanent basis in January.
Slegers had never managed beyond the group stages of the Champions League this season, and her achievements are still sinking in.
"There were so many emotions after the game," the Dutchwoman told the crowd. "I thought when I came home I would be taking it in, but I ordered food and fell asleep.
"If you are together and you stay together whatever happens and you want to become better every day, with the foundation of being really good players you can reach high levels and that's what we have done."
Before Arsenal players lifted the trophy and were showered in red and white confetti, the last word went to the matchwinner and history-maker Blackstenius.
"It's just amazing standing here with this team and all of you," she said. "We won the Champions League and it feels unbelievable in every way."
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The year of Napoli and Scott McTominay: the Serie A season review
The season has barely ended and already it is clear Serie A will look very different next term. Five of the league's top 10 sides have parted ways with their managers and a sixth, Claudio Ranieri, is moving upstairs at Roma. More changes may soon follow, with Igor Tudor's future at Juventus uncertain and Como's Cesc Fàbregas drawing attention from richer clubs – including the runners-up, Inter, who need a replacement for Simone Inzaghi. Could we equal the turnover of last summer, when 14 out of 20 teams got a new coach? It's not impossible, especially with several lower-half teams and their tacticians still exploring the options available. Advertisement So let us take a moment, before it is forgotten, to celebrate the 2024-25 campaign. It will be remembered above all for Napoli's fourth scudetto, and Antonio Conte becoming the first manager to win Serie A with three clubs; or the second, after Fabio Capello, for those who continue to reject the decision to strip Juventus of their 2005 and 2006 triumphs as punishment for Calciopoli scandal. In Naples, they will remember this as the year of Scott McTominay, who joined from Manchester United at the end of August and went on to become Serie A's Most Valuable Player. He lacks the glittering gifts of their heroes before him – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Diego Maradona – but the man they call 'McFratm' – McBro – was relentlessly decisive, his 12 goals including eight that broke a deadlock in a goalless game The Scottish influence in Serie A continues to grow. Billy Gilmour was a league winner alongside McTominay at Napoli, starting only 13 league games but delivering important performances, including one of his best in the scudetto-sealing win against Cagliari. Ché Adams joined Torino and scored 10 goals in all competitions. Simone Inzaghi has been appointed coach of Al-Hilal, the Saudi Pro League side announced on Wednesday. The Italian left Inter on Tuesday after the side's humiliating 5-0 loss in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain last Saturday, and has quickly taken on another managerial job. Advertisement The Saudi club did not immediately disclose any details about Inzaghi's contract, but Italian media reported that it could be worth up to €30m (£25.3m) per season. Inzaghi's first task will be to take charge of Al-Hilal at the Club World Cup in the US; they will face Real Madrid on 18 June in their group opener. Earlier on Wednesday, Cesc Fàbregas pledged his immediate managerial future to Como amid speculation that the Spaniard is Inter's main target to replace Inzaghi. The former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder has attracted the attention of several top clubs after leading promoted Como to 10th place in Serie A. 'I really believe in Como's long-term project, I arrived here as a player and I'm very, very happy because I can work here the way I want," Fàbregas, who is also a shareholder in the club he manages, said at the SXSW (South By Southwest) conference in London. Italian media have reported that Inter want to speak to Fàbregas after Inzaghi left by mutual agreement on Tuesday. Reuters Lewis Ferguson, essential to Bologna's Champions League qualification a year ago, missed much of this season through injury but returned to captain his team to glory in the Coppa Italia – their first domestic trophy in more than half a century. Liam Henderson was relegated with Empoli, but Josh Doig is in line to replace him in Serie A after helping Sassuolo to promotion. Advertisement From top to second-bottom, this was an intensely competitive campaign. Not only the title race but places in every European competition and the final two relegation spots were all decided on the final weekend. For a moment it had even appeared that the top two might need to be separated by a playoff. There were too many twists and turns to recall here, but certain images will linger in the memory. Riccardo Orsolini gleefully rapping on the lens of a TV camera after scoring the 93rd-minute scissor-kick winner for Bologna that began to unravel Inter's title bid. Pedro, a former Premier League champion under Conte, scoring his second equaliser for Lazio against the Nerazzurri – again in injury time – to stop them going top on the penultimate weekend. Inter pursued every trophy and finished with none. They were even outdone here by their frequently dreadful neighbours, Milan, who came from 2-0 down to beat them in the Supercoppa final, the culmination of an astonishing first week in charge of the Rossoneri for Sérgio Conceição, whose team nevertheless finished eighth in the league. His predecessor, Paulo Fonseca, had begun the season saying Milan were aiming to win the scudetto. By week three, he could not even persuade Rafael Leão and Theo Hernández to stand with their teammates during a cooling break. Advertisement Fonseca got plenty wrong, yet none of his missteps was so shameful as the ones his club made on the night they fired him – allowing him to give a post-game press conference at which everyone seemed to know his fate except for him. Finally informed of his termination shortly after, he had to announce it to journalists on the way out of the car park, since the club had still not released a statement. Instead of Milan, it was Atalanta who threatened to muscle in on the title race, winning 11 games in a row before fading to third. Bologna, Roma, Lazio and Fiorentina had turns at challenging for fourth. They were beaten to it by Juventus, who broke a habit and changed manager with the season ongoing. Tudor drove more than 600 miles from his home in Croatia to take the job. His choice, and the club's, was vindicated. The relegation battle was similarly close-fought, all apart from Monza, who started and finished poorly under Alessandro Nesta. They were equally bad when Salvatore Bocchetti replaced him for seven games in the middle. Selling several starters in January did not help, but the Berlusconi family have made clear they are no longer interested in sustaining a loss-making football club, and are seeking a new buyer. Venezia, too, paid the price for mid-season trading – unable to find a replacement goalscorer after Joel Pohjanpalo left for Palermo. Empoli join them in dropping down to Serie B, overtaken at the last by a Lecce side for whom the goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone was the hero. The team from the heel of Italy's boot will play a fourth consecutive season of top-flight football for the first time. Advertisement Again, though, we are getting ahead of ourselves. It is time now for the end-of-season Bandini awards: Goal of the season 10) David Neres goes for a run against Fiorentina. 9) There's something deeply satisfying about the dip on this strike from Jurgen Ekkelenkamp. 8) Pick your own favourite between Nicolò Barella's gems against Lazio and Atalanta. 7) Adams from the centre circle. 6) Moise Kean, on the turn and on the volley. 5) Mandatory annual overhead kick section: Saúl Coco for Torino and Rolando Mandragora for Fiorentina. 4) New-this-year scissor kick section: Riccardo Orsolini v Scott McTominay. Advertisement 3) Matías Soulé gets extra points for doing this in the second half of a Rome derby his team were losing. Someone in Serie A's video team liked it so much they set it to music in slow-motion. 2) Ange-Yoan Bonny's through-the-legs-and-in-off-the-woodwork heel flick was good. But Dan Ndoye's was better. 1) The volleyed finish from Paulo Dybala was wonderful, but it's the buildup play and backheel assist from Artem Dovbyk that make this one special. Best goal in a 6-1 defeat Amin Sarr for Verona v Atalanta. Best goal in a 5-1 defeat Luca Mazzitelli for Como v Lazio. Assist of the season The wind in Venice, carrying Gaetano Oristanio's corner straight past Pepe Reina. Most awkward goal of the season Lorenzo Lucca's penalty earned Udinese three points away to Lecce, yet nobody celebrated with him. The striker had claimed the ball for himself when a spot-kick was awarded in the 27th minute, despite the fact Florian Thauvin was the designated taker and even after half their team rushed over to remonstrate with him. Lucca buried it into the top corner but was snubbed by his colleagues and subbed off before half-time. 'Nobody's bigger than the team,' the manager Kosta Runjaic said at the time. Not even their 6ft 7in top scorer. Player of the season McTominay is the easy, and correct, choice. There were others who deserve a mention: Mateo Retegui's 25 goals for Atalanta were six more than anyone else managed, Nico Paz was electric for Como and Kean produced the best season of his career for Fiorentina. Advertisement But McTominay stood up repeatedly in key moments for a Napoli team who rarely had the luxury of an easy three points, winning 13 times by a goal. At first the 'Jolly', whose adaptability allowed him to fit in where the team needed, by the end McTominay had become the man that the whole system was built around, following the departure of Kvaratskhelia. Team of the season (3-4-1-2) Mile Svilar (Roma); Amir Rrahmani (Napoli), Berat Djimsiti (Atalanta), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter); Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Tijjani Reijnders (Milan), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio); Nico Paz (Como); Mateo Retegui (Atalanta), Moise Kean (Fiorentina) Player I'm most annoyed not to have squeezed into that XI: Marcus Thuram (Inter) Manager of the season Ranieri was always going to have a bumpy start to his final stint at Roma. Returning to a club that had already gone through two managers by mid-November, his first league games in charge were against Napoli and Atalanta. His Giallorossi lost both, beat Lecce then suffered another defeat away to Como. Advertisement For the remaining 22 rounds of the season after that, though, Ranieri's Roma were statistically the best team in Serie A – taking 53 points. The closest sides behind them in this stretch, Inter and Napoli, managed 47 each. Roma ultimately fell a point short of the Champions League places, but even qualifying for the Europa League was a major achievement given the mess he inherited. His most lasting impact might simply have been to heal rifts between the club and a fanbase who were outraged by the ownership's treatment of Daniele De Rossi. Honourable mentions: So, so many. It feels outrageous not to give the prize to Conte for taking over a Napoli team who finished 10th last season, and who sold Kvaratskhelia without a replacement in January, having already sent the other great hero of their 2023 scudetto win, Victor Osimhen, off to Galatasaray on loan. But I also want to acknowledge the work done by Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta. His methods at times seemed questionable – labelling Ademola Lookman 'one of the worst penalty takers I've ever seen', but the results are undeniable. Advertisement Atalanta lost their starting No 9, Gianluca Scamacca, to a cruciate ligament tear in August and were without one of their brightest young talents, Giorgio Scalvini, for most of the season too. Teun Koopmeiners was sold to Juventus in the summer and Lookman missed the start of the campaign amid reports that he, too, was lobbying for a transfer. Despite all that, Atalanta finished third, again. Fàbregas also did impressive work at Como, but I wanted to highlight Raffaele Palladino, too. He reinvigorated the careers of so many players this year at Fiorentina – from Kean to Robin Gosens and David De Gea and even navigated a traumatic chapter for his club with Edoardo Bove's cardiac arrest. Having chosen to walk away at the end of the season, it will be fascinating to see where Palladino lands next. Saves of the Season Fiorentina's David de Gea pulls out three in a row against Como. Game of the Season The Derby d'Italia in October, when Inter led 1-0 then trailed 2-1, led 4-2 and ultimately drew 4-4 against Juventus was an utterly unhinged game of football, as well as a magical one for the then 19-year-old Kenan Yildiz, who scored the last two goals. We should have known then that Inter were no longer the trustworthy defensive unit we watched last season. 'The neutrals like you enjoyed yourselves,' Inzaghi said to a giddy Sky Sport studio at full-time. 'Me, a little bit less.' Best pilot Christian Pulisic. Worst foreshadowing 'The mental side of the game will be fundamental,' the then-Lecce manager Luca Gotti said before his team hosted Fiorentina in October. They lost 6-0, with Antonino Gallo sent off before half-time. Toughest love After taking over at Juventus in March, Tudor told a press conference he had already heard from one player's famous father: 'I spoke to Lilian Thuram yesterday on the phone. He told me: 'If my son Khéphren does anything wrong, you can slap him.'' Most unimpressed Lilian Thuram again, this time watching his older son, Marcus, score against his own former club, Parma. Greatest struggle Napoli fans trying to say Scott McTominay's name (before they came up with something better. Worst excuses Conte and Napoli finished as scudetto winners, but that didn't stop him from getting in a few classic moans along the way. Greatest among them might have been his lament that 'the pitch was not watered, and the ball wouldn't run' after a 0-0 draw at Venezia. 'It's the first time something like this has happened all year. I asked [Venezia manager] Eusebio [Di Francesco] if that was their choice but he said it wasn't.' The broadcaster Dazn responded on Venezia's behalf, posting a video of the pitch being watered on four separate occasions, before kick-off and at half-time. Guy Goma Gong for mistaken identity Down 1-0 at home against Lazio in April, Atalanta sought to change the dynamic of the game by replacing the midfielder Éderson with the more attacking Lazar Samardzic. Unfortunately, Mirco Moioli, responsible for conveying substitutions to the fourth official, misheard Gasperini's instruction to take off 'Ede' as a call to replace 'Ade' – the forward Ademola Lookman. By the time they realised, the board had gone up and it was too late to do anything about it. As Gasperini observed at full-time: 'You could see this wasn't our day.' Final thought I've saved the last word this season for Ranieri, reflecting on Roma's 1-1 draw with Lazio in April. That result, earned from a losing position, allowed him to retire undefeated as a manager in Rome derbies. But it also was the first one he had failed to win. 'I thought about that before and after,' Ranieri said. 'As a fan it's very beautiful to finish undefeated, though I would have liked to close with one more win. But this is football: sometimes it gives you beautiful things, other times less beautiful. You need to know how to accept it.'
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
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🗞️ Lamine, Mbappé, Nico... Spain v France dominates today's front pages
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New York Times
34 minutes ago
- New York Times
Ibrahima Konate interview: ‘Slot's Liverpool philosophy is different to Klopp's, but he didn't ask me to change'
Like everyone who watched last weekend's Champions League final, Ibrahima Konate could not fail to be impressed by Paris Saint-Germain's five-star performance. But as he watched Vitinha and company cut elegant swathes through a bewildered Inter at Munich's Allianz Arena, there was a nagging disappointment. Advertisement 'I enjoyed it, like any football fan,' he says. 'We were all looking forward to it because it was a Champions League final. But I would have liked to be there with my team!' Unlike the majority of people who tuned in, Konate knows what it is like to play against this PSG team, having finished on the wrong side of a penalty shootout defeat against them with Liverpool in the round of 16 in March. While the knowledge that his side fell to the tournament's eventual winners provides a crumb of comfort, it has only stiffened his determination to come back and win the competition next season. And that will not be his only objective. 'The most important thing is not to rest on our laurels,' the centre-back tells The Athletic in an interview at Clairefontaine, France's national football centre. 'We won the Premier League, which is magnificent and which made everyone happy, but it's not an end in itself. I want to win it again next year. Or win the Champions League. 'When next season begins, we shouldn't forget about the title, because we won it and it's etched in history, but we'll need to set it aside and say to ourselves, 'That's behind us. Now, do we have the desire and the physical and mental strength to do what we did last season again?' 'It will be harder, because we're the champions and everyone will want to beat us.' Konate could have been forgiven for wondering if he was going to have anything to celebrate last season, after finding himself on the bench for Arne Slot's first Premier League game as Liverpool coach away to Ipswich in August. Within 45 minutes, Slot had decided to send Konate on in place of Jarell Quansah and the Frenchman did not look back, going on to start every subsequent league match for which he was available until a dead rubber against Chelsea in early May after the title had been secured. Konate, who celebrated his 26th birthday in late May, says his responsibilities have not significantly changed under Slot, who succeeded Jurgen Klopp when the German stepped down at the end of the 2023-24 campaign after almost nine years as manager. But by benching him that day at Portman Road, he inadvertently sparked a fire that Konate resolved he would keep burning until the end of the season. Advertisement 'He has a playing philosophy that's a bit different — he's more focused on build-up play and holding onto the ball a bit more,' Konate says of the Dutchman. 'But he didn't ask me to change anything specifically. 'I didn't start the first match of the season, but I came on at half-time. From that point on, the objective in my head was clear: I wanted to win everything this season and leave no stone unturned. Give nobody a chance, whether that's the rivals for my position or my opponents. And that's pretty much what happened. 'I'm very happy with the season we had. Even though we would have liked to go a bit further in the Champions League. We can be sad about that, but it came during a period when we weren't at our best and a lot of fatigue had built up. In the end, we're happy to have ended up with the Premier League.' From the title-sealing 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham to the trophy presentation at Anfield on the season's final day, the sun seemed to be permanently shining on Liverpool in the campaign's closing weeks, only for darkness to descend during their end-of-season parade when a car ploughed into supporters in the city centre, leaving 109 people injured and four people in hospital, according to the latest police statement. A 53-year-old local man, Paul Doyle, has been charged over the incident. A week on from the awful events of May 26, the sense of shock is still palpable in Konate's voice. 'We felt disappointment, sadness, fear,' he says. 'Because everything had gone perfectly. And then this tragedy had to happen. 'We felt the tension for a few hours, even a few days, because we didn't know what the casualty list was. We were really worried that people might have died. Thank God, there were no deaths, but there were lots of injuries. I wish them all a very quick recovery. Advertisement 'That's the most important thing. And I hope nobody will be scarred for life by this tragedy. It's sad, because we'd had a magnificent time with everyone and it ended up being spoilt. The fact nobody died was a comfort. But people were still injured, and that's what's still on our minds. I hope they'll all be OK.' At Liverpool's training complex in Kirkby, planning for next season is well underway. Konate already knows he will have a new partner alongside him on the right side of defence after Jeremie Frimpong was brought in from Germany's Bayer Leverkusen to replace the Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold. Konate is a fan of the ultra-attacking Netherlands international and is confident he will quickly find his feet. 'I think the coach's instructions to him will be clear because we'll do lots of video work,' he says. 'The fact he's signed for us means he must have spoken to the coach a lot, so he'll know what the coach expects from him. 'It'll be different with him compared to Trent. That's for sure, because they're different players. But I'm happy for him. He's a good person, very funny, and I wish him every happiness at Liverpool when he arrives. I have no worries about him.' Konate watched the first half of the Champions League final with some of his France team-mates in the Clairefontaine dining room before retiring to his room to watch the second half alone. Although PSG were representing France, the presence in the Inter ranks of two French internationals obliged those watching to show a measure of restraint. Or at least to attempt to. 'People weren't shouting when PSG scored,' Konate says. 'To be completely honest, I couldn't tell you who was supporting who.' A short pause. 'OK, for some players, I know! But we had compatriots on each side, so we just wanted to watch a great match and enjoy the moment as a group. Advertisement 'To be honest, it was hard to choose. Of course, I'm from Paris and my whole family supports PSG. That's nothing new — everyone knows that. At the same time, I was at the same (Sochaux) academy as Marcus Thuram and I've played with (his Inter team-mate) Benjamin Pavard with France. Particularly Marcus, because I've known him since I was 15. I wanted him to be happy. 'I was just thinking, 'Let the best team win.' But I admit I sided a bit more with PSG because I'm very good friends with Ousmane (Dembele) and with the season he's having, we knew if he won the Champions League, it'd take him closer to the Ballon d'Or. 'For a guy like him, who's received so much criticism, who's had so many injuries, who's been on such a long journey, the opportunity to win that individual trophy is everything that I could wish for him.' While Dembele's role in PSG's triumph has enhanced his claim to the Ballon d'Or, the standout French performer on the night was Desire Doue. Konate has not played much football with the former Rennes forward, who turned 20 on Tuesday, but he likes everything he has seen from him. 'His performance was a dream,' Konate says. 'I'm extremely happy for him, because when he signed for PSG, he had to tiptoe in a bit. There's the pressure, the need to adapt, so it always takes a bit of time. 'There was a turning point in January, when the coach (Luis Enrique) started showing more faith in him. The appearances he made off the bench against us, and the fact he scored the last penalty (in the shootout at Anfield) gave him an exceptional confidence boost. 'Since then, he's just been the player he is, because he has huge qualities. He has great natural physical qualities and he's already very mature in terms of his football. Plus, he has technical proficiency that is way above average. And he has a healthy lifestyle. I tend to observe people and I notice if people pay attention to what they eat or if they do a lot of gym work. Advertisement 'But scoring two goals and providing an assist in a Champions League final… I don't think he'll have slept much since!' Doue is one of several young attacking players France coach Didier Deschamps has brought into his squad as he builds towards next year's World Cup. PSG winger Bradley Barcola, 22, and Bayern Munich's Michael Olise, 23, have impressed recently, while 21-year-old Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki could make his hotly-anticipated senior debut in Thursday's Nations League semi-final against European champions Spain. 'They bring a lot of quality and a lot of freshness,' says Konate, who at 26 is already acquiring the air of an elder statesman within the squad. 'If the coach has picked them, it's because they can add something extra to the squad. Rayan has only just arrived, so we shouldn't put too much pressure on him, but I have no worries about him, to be completely honest. 'Doue, I think we saw when he came on against Croatia (in the Nations League quarter-finals in March) the huge qualities he has and the great confidence in himself that he has. Olise arrived a little while ago and we've all seen his qualities, whether it's from set pieces or technically in open play. 'There's now lots of competition for those positions, and that's good. Because when there's competition, no one can afford to ease up.' First capped at senior level in June 2022, Konate spent the whole of last summer's European Championship on the bench before starting all but one of the autumn's Nations League group games, captaining France to a 3-1 win over Italy at San Siro in Milan. He then lost his place to Dayot Upamecano after a shaky first-half display in the first leg of that quarter-final away to Croatia, who won the game 2-0. With both Upamecano and William Saliba absent through injury, Konate is expected to start tonight in the German city of Stuttgart, when France will seek to avenge last summer's 2-1 loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 semi-finals. Deschamps is entering the final 12 months of his glittering France tenure. The 56-year-old announced in January that he will step down after next year's World Cup following 14 years at the helm, and Konate is determined to give his coach the best possible send-off. Advertisement 'Fourteen years with the national team is exceptional,' he says. 'Most of the players who are here have grown up with Deschamps at the head of the France team. In 2012 (when Deschamps was appointed), I was 13. So I hadn't even joined an academy. I was living in the 11th (arrondissement; a district of northeastern Paris) and playing (youth football) for Paris FC. And today he's my coach in the France national team! 'We know all good things come to an end, but his record is magnificent. The best way to thank him and to say goodbye would be to make sure we finish on a good note.' Whether it be repaying Deschamps with a fitting farewell in the United States next summer or going a step further under Slot with Liverpool, Konate is setting himself up for a big 2026.
