With Arne Slot asked to name his all-time XI of Champions League winners, the head coach named five current and past Liverpool players in his lineup.
Slot sat down with Amazon Prime Video and put together his all-time starting XI of players who have won the Champions League in the past.
His lineup includes four players from his current Liverpool squad and one of the club’s most legendary figures of the past.
It could even be argued that at least one more should have made it – the choice of left-back is hugely debatable given Andy Robertson‘s impact on the role – but Slot was clearly eager not to seem too biased!
Goalkeeper – Alisson (Liverpool)
“I work with him now, but he was also really important when they won the Champions League a few years ago.
“Since I’ve worked with him, I see how special he is and how many important saves he already made.
“He’s been outstanding for Liverpool in all these years, it’s an easy pick for me to go for Alisson.”
Right-back – Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
“I am going to go for Trent in the right full-back position, for obvious reasons.
“I think he’s been so special for Liverpool in all these years, coming from the academy [to] winning the Champions League at this club.”
Centre-back – Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
“Virgil needs to be there. He has had a lot of impact on this club. I think when he and Alisson came in was the last step the team needed to make.
“Impressive centre-back, really good in the air, he has all the attributes a centre-back should have. So he’s for sure in it.”
Centre-back – Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
“I think both [Pique and Van Dijk] have great composure when they are on the ball, strong in the air, can score a goal from set-pieces as well.
“I think if you want to play at this level, it’s not about how much difference there is, it’s more about how many similarities there are.”
Left-back – Frank de Boer (Ajax)
“I think one of those players [who won it at Ajax] should be in a team that I select, and Frank de Boer was really special back then at Ajax.”
Defensive midfield – Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)
“Understanding of the game was incredible. He was really quick in his understanding of the game and seeing where the options were before he even received it. Special player, great team.”
Central midfield – Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
“If you would have asked me this a year ago I would have probably said Iniesta, but I think now I’m going to go for Steven Gerrard, being Liverpool manager!
“Why he might deserve to be in my team is that the other ones, like Iniesta, like Zidane, they played with incredible teammates, and of course Steven Gerrard played with good to really good teammates, but I don’t think he played with the same level of players.
“Then still being so special for the club, lifting the trophy once, playing so long for this club, he meant so much for it.”
Central midfield – Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
“Let’s pick someone who is outside of the Barcelona-Liverpool-Ajax box and go for Luka Modric.
“He’s hardly ever injured, his lifestyle must be very good as well. But what makes him special is he won it six times and is for such a long, long, long time right up there.”
Right wing – Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
“For me, it’s clear that Mo Salah should be in.
“Eight or nine years on such a high level in the recent history of this club, he’s scored so many goals. He’s been really special for this club.”
Left wing – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
“Ronaldo from the left, Messi as a striker and then Mo from the right…we’ve got some goals then!”
Striker – Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
“I think that Messi and Ronaldo should be in, in my opinion, almost everyone’s team.
“Because what they did to the recent era of football, scoring so many goals, with even Mo maybe right up there with the two of them. Those three should be in this team.”
