- 6 hours ago
Iraola on City guilty verdict and Maresca's side being the benchmark this season
09/10/2026
AXA training centre, Liverpool, UK
09/10/2026
AXA training centre, Liverpool, UK
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00:14I just wanted to start with obviously the situation surrounding Manchester City. In general terms, what impact could weight into
00:21the outcome of the appeal and potential sanctions have on the remainder of this season as a whole? How much
00:26do you feel clarity is needed now?
00:30I think uncertainty is not good for anyone, for anyone involved. But there is the process ongoing and we have
00:39to be patient like everyone else and see what happens at the end.
00:42Obviously we spoke earlier as well, you said your focus is firmly on the game. You could go six games
00:47unbeaten in the league. Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan, the other two Liverpool managers, to have started their time here
00:52with six league games unbeaten. How satisfied are you with what's been done so far?
00:58It's a difficult question. It looks like this. Like you said, it looks very good. After you see that we've
01:04had some, especially the two draws at the beginning, that they were not so good.
01:10But I think this, not this game, this, I think this run of games we have now between the international
01:16breaks, that demand of those games are really high. I think we play against the top four in the league,
01:21the Champions League games, the Carabao Cup game against Chelsea.
01:24So, also a very condensed run of games. We play now, I think it's four games in nine, ten days,
01:31I think it is. So, I think it will say a lot about us. You know, I think after this
01:40run of games that is really demanding, we will know better where we really are.
01:45It's a really bad time for injuries to hit. So, any better news from training? Isak, Gakpo, how are they?
01:50And if not ready, how ready is Uskumas to lead the attack from the start?
01:55Yes, yes, Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo will not play the game. They are not ready. Unfortunately for us, both
02:03got injuries during the international break.
02:08As a club manager always is, you are always waiting until the game's end and the doctor doesn't call you,
02:17doesn't give you bad news.
02:18But in this case, we've been unlucky with Alex and Cody. Both of them are injured and they are not
02:26going to be involved on Sunday.
02:28You've got a timeframe for both. And also, just again, Uskumas, how ready if you call on him to lead
02:34the attack from the start?
02:35I think Uskumas has our trust. You know, I don't think it's a big surprise. I've always liked the player.
02:47He has already shown in important minutes that he is ready to go. And we have also other players who
02:53can cover the positions.
02:57And now we need to take decisions about Cody and Alex. Cody has an ankle injury.
03:07He has had some before in his career. And it's a matter of him dealing with the pain. Because when
03:15you have U2 is your uncle, it was a really bad tackle. I think he's doing things individually, but will
03:24not be ready for the Sunday.
03:26And Alex has a thigh injury. Some muscle injury is a small injury, but it's a muscle injury. And the
03:32same whenever he feels ready.
03:36They don't look like long term, like we will be analysing day to day, but they are not going to
03:43arrive on Sunday.
03:43I keep going off.
03:45Okay, thank you.
03:46And Buddy, no doubt a massive game for you this weekend. One that supporters, media, no doubt players have looked
03:52forward to taking part in for a number of years.
03:55Away from everything else off the pitch, what kind of a game do you expect against the league leaders?
04:00I think it's an exciting game. We are playing at home at Anfield against the city that is top of
04:07the league right now. They've won all their games. And I think they will go for the game. We will
04:14go for the game.
04:15I think it's going to be quite an open game. And we have to be ready. We have to be
04:20ready. We have to use also the help of our supporters. And I hope we are at the level of
04:27the game that is going to be high.
04:29If you do come through this, particularly still unbeaten ideally with three points in your back pocket as well, how
04:35big of a statement would that feel? And how much of a marker could that be in terms of the
04:40progression of this team?
04:42I think it's still very early. Whatever happens on Sunday. We've just played five games in the Premier League. But
04:49it's true that we would like to face a team like City and show our level and get the win.
04:58And have a good day, definitely. It's massive for everyone involved in this kind of games. It's an exciting moment,
05:08I think.
05:08And just a word on Jeremy Jacquet, if I may. It would be fantastic for you. Another one of your
05:15players nominated for Player of the Month award. Fantastic for France, of course.
05:19Now, are you surprised at how quickly he's found this level in the Premier League? And just how perfect of
05:26an environment is this, being surrounded by Virgil and Ronald in particular with their best experience?
05:31Obviously, he's done very well. First, because he's a very good player. Obviously, you know Jacquet, you've seen Clif from
05:40him. But until you don't have him in everyday training, you can really appreciate what he has.
05:48And I'm very happy for him personally. Because I know that for him to make the debut in the national
05:54team, in a team like France, that is always difficult to have a chance. And also, I think he played
05:59really well. I think he should be happy. But still, he has a long way to go. But he has
06:07started really well the season, yes.
06:08Is he fit as well? Yeah, he's fit. He's ready to go. I think he didn't play with the national
06:15team last game because of protection. But he should be fine. Still, we need to train tomorrow. But he's fine,
06:23yes.
06:23Perfect. Thank you.
06:24Hi, Andoni. The atmosphere against Manchester City is always, always big, regardless of any other situation. But how much do
06:32you want to feed off that atmosphere? And how much do you have to almost be careful that it doesn't
06:37get carried away, in a sense?
06:40I think, I think, always, when you play, you know, and you live these kind of games, the atmosphere is
06:47going to be big, especially at Anfield. I think we want to give also our supporters reasons not to be,
06:56they will be with us, you know. But when they see the team they want to see on the pitch,
07:01we can create even a better atmosphere. And we will work for this, yes.
07:06And clearly, it's still early in the season. I don't think it's a must-win game. But in the context
07:13of picking up points against the other sides at the top of the table, is it a must-not-lose,
07:19if you like?
07:20No, I think it's like, nowadays in the Premier League, every game you play doesn't matter the opposition. It's going
07:29to be a tough game, you know. The level of the competition has gone so high that everyone can lose
07:36games in any game, you know.
07:38Every time you face a team that is around you, you always want to win, but it can happen next
07:45week, you lose, and then they win, and then it's, at the end, this is still very early in the
07:52season, but it's true. Definitely, we want to win, yes.
07:57Carl?
07:59Briefly, you spoke about Gapco being sort of a back-up to Pizac, to have neither of them available in
08:09the mid-2022 already this season. How much time do you have to plan around that? And in reality, what
08:17do your plans look like in terms of what you can do without those two?
08:21Yes, even before, we don't have Hugo Kitike, that is another very good striker that I'm looking forward to have
08:28also available, but we don't have Hugo, we don't have Alex, we will maybe recover Fede Chiesa, but he hasn't
08:37played any minute, he's recovering from an injury, but he has been doing a good job in the international break,
08:42he has been training with the small group we had, like a poor number nine, it's true that probably we
08:47only have Kumas right now, but we have some other options.
08:50We have some wingers, we have some wingers that have played up front in other teams, and I think we
08:59will put an 11 with level enough not to compete for that game, yes.
09:06Have you had enough time to dedicate attention to that problem?
09:12A lot of time we don't have, because we basically, we train with the group, the same as City, they
09:17will have three days of training, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, some of them they arrive Wednesday, they did a little
09:23bit, but with the team you have three days to prepare.
09:26But it's the same for every team, so we cannot use it as an excuse, obviously you've had a lot
09:31of time to watch all their games, to analyse a lot of things, but after you have to adapt, because
09:36you have one injury of Alex at the beginning, then Cody, then you don't know, but this is going to
09:42be even worse.
09:43The next day, we play City, we have two days, we play Champions League, we have two days, we have
09:47two days, we have two days, so it's going to be like this, all the run of games, so we
09:53have to get used to these things.
10:14I don't think he's in a bad moment, I think the problem with wingers or strikers is if they don't
10:20score a goal, they haven't played well.
10:22You know, I think we have to see the games, we have to watch, I said it, I think the
10:27first game against Letico Madrid that he missed two or three quite clear chances, I don't care, honestly, I don't
10:34care if he misses the chance, I care, but I want him to sit there, you know, and he's still
10:40with the national team, I've seen him, he has got a couple of good situations to score, he hasn't scored,
10:45but I want him to be there, and he's a top player for us,
10:51I think he can play in either position up front, probably has played more as a left winger, but has
10:56played a little bit as a striker, has played even more as a right winger, so I think he can
11:02cover the three positions up front, and he's a super valuable player for us.
11:06Adam?
11:07Adam?
11:07I know, given the background behind the game, the rivalry, it's going to be a pretty special atmosphere, in many
11:15ways, is this the sort of game that you really relish?
11:18Yes, you are here to play this kind of games, you know, you know that it's going to be challenging,
11:23they are very good, but we also are very good, you know, this kind of games where you want to
11:30see also your players, because there are going to be difficult duels, 1v1s, against very good players, and let's see
11:37where we are, and let's see what help we can provide them during the game, with the subs, and yeah,
11:44looking forward to the game, let's see.
11:52For a lot of them, you know, they've been up against this Manchester City side for a long time, so
11:56how do you sort of, do you speak with them about it, how do you ensure that they sort of
12:01are completely focused on the task, and there's so much noise going on?
12:05I think the challenge of the game, the difficulty of the game, you want, is so high, that I don't
12:12think players think too much outside of this, because they are thinking, I have to mark this player, or I
12:18have to deal with this one, or I have to be at this level, because the level of the game
12:22will be high, so I think they are focused on those things.
12:26Obviously, obviously they will have their own opinions, but I think they will be fully focused on what happens inside
12:34the pages.
12:37When you read the Commission's findings in the City about the sham contracts and the extent of the rule breaking,
12:43were you surprised?
12:45The thing is, I haven't, I think they've spent how much time, they've spent reading things, and three years, I
12:53don't know how much, you know, so we don't know about the situation, you know, so I don't think it's
12:58fair we give an opinion for things that I haven't spent, the time they've spent analyzing everything, they've taken a
13:05lot of time, so they are the ones that have to give the answers.
13:11My opinion is not valid, because I haven't spent those times, and I haven't read as much as they've done.
13:18And obviously, potentially, there's a big punishment hanging over Mount City, does that present an opportunity for your team to
13:24capitalize?
13:28I've said it before, I think the worst thing probably is the uncertainty, that no one knows what's going to
13:35happen, but we have to focus on Liverpool.
13:39Be the best club we can be, the best team we can be, and that's my challenge.