Fate scattered them.
The Europa League group stage has begun and Liverpool, more accustomed to being seen in a higher position in the tournament, have made a successful start. The Reds started with an away win over LASK (3:1). The last time they played in the Europa League was in 2016. And then we got to the final, where we lost to the worst opponent in the competition: Sevilla. Now Liverpool are one of the favorites in the new competition. Let’s remember who defended the “red” colors in 2016. Where are they now?
Simone Mignolet
Klopp stubbornly trusted the Belgian, but he still did not live up to his hopes. And it became clear that Liverpool needed a new goalkeeper to compete at the next level. In the final he missed three goals and three years later he returned to Belgium, having previously lost his place in the first team. In Brugge, among other things, he restarted his career, won three championships and also received an award as best player of the year.
Nathaniel Kline
He once laid claim to status as Liverpool’s leading right-back. Until Alexander-Arnold arrived. Klein had to go on loan to Bournemouth, where he did not perform well. Injuries prevented him from extending his contract with Liverpool. In 2018 he returned to Crystal Palace as a free agent. And he remains there to this day.
Dejan Lovren
Lovren performed with great success. He left Liverpool having already won the Champions League, Premier League and Super Cup of UEFA. And this defeat against Sevilla occurred in the Croatian’s second season at Liverpool. Lovren’s playing time gradually reduced as Klopp looked for options to strengthen the center of defence. In 2020, the Croatian left for Zenit, and ten years after leaving Lyon he returned there.
Kolo Toure
This defender was already in the twilight of his career at the 2016 Europa League final. Touré made eight appearances in that European season. The former Arsenal star then left for Celtic for a season before retiring. Interestingly, at the age of 42 he was given the chance to start his coaching career at Wigan, but he stayed there for 52 days, that is, nine matches. And then they fired me.
Alberto Moreno
He had difficult moments in the match against his former team, which he had left two years earlier. After the poor finish, Moreno quickly faded and Klopp began to distrust the full-back in the following seasons. He passed to Robertson. And Alberto returned to Spain and moved to Villarreal in 2019. He remains there to this day.
James Milner
The versatile veteran has been Klopp’s loyal assistant over the years. Only last summer he moved to Brighton, which Jurgen even later regretted, advising his stars to have Milner’s “character and way of thinking”. Klopp appreciated the midfielder’s leadership qualities and professionalism. He played an important role in the team on and off the pitch. Now at Brighton, the 37-year-old veteran ranks third among Premier League players in terms of number of games played: 624 already under his belt.
Emre Can
The combative midfielder has thrived since leaving Liverpool. The case where he left the team for better opportunities. Can moved to Juventus, with whom he won two Serie A titles. He was subsequently sent on loan to Borussia Dortmund, where he remains today. Emre has made 127 appearances for Dortmund and remains an important player for the German national team.
Adam Lallana
Lallana is perhaps best remembered by Liverpool fans for his last-minute goal in a thrilling match against Norwich. Adam scored nine times that season. But the player’s career turned out to be tattered. He remained at the club, Klopp was counting on him, but Lallana had little game practice and appeared sporadically. Injuries prevented him from realizing the potential with which he arrived from Southampton in 2014. At the same time, after leaving Liverpool, Lallana performed well at Brighton.
Roberto Firmino
This is already a Liverpool legend of the modern era. The Brazilian was in his first season at Liverpool when the Reds last played in the Europa League. Even then, he showed promising potential, which created the foundation for his stellar career. The Brazilian has become the center of a destructive trident completed by Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah. Firmino was part of a Liverpool side that dominated from then on. But last summer he said a tearful farewell to the team, choosing attractive conditions in Saudi Arabia. For a 31-year-old goalscorer, fair enough.
Philip Coutinho
He had the world at his feet after Liverpool reached the Europa League final. However, the Brazilian rejected Klopp’s calls to stay at the club and become a legend. Coutinho decided to join Barcelona for £146 million two years later. And his career got worse. He wasn’t able to find his form, he went on loan to Bayern and everything went so-so there too. He returned to England, moving to Aston Villa under the wing of Steven Gerrard. Something had already started to work out there, but the form dropped again after the change of manager. Coutinho is now playing on loan in Qatar.
Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge’s career can be described as controversial. At times he produced exceptional segments, at others he simply disappeared from the radar. In 2014, Sturridge teamed up with Luis Suarez to almost take Liverpool to the championship. You could say injuries ruined his career at Liverpool. From there he left for West Bromwich on loan. Then he moved to Türkiye and then to Australia. He ended his career and became a television expert.
