InterviewIbrahima Konate: Wembley celebrations left me speechless – and now I want more
The centre-back played in the 2022 Carabao Cup and Emirates FA Cup finals, as well as last season’s Carabao Cup showpiece – with the Reds coming out on top against Chelsea on all three of those occasions.
This afternoon, they will seek to retain the trophy they won in unforgettably dramatic fashion a year ago when they face Newcastle United, with Konate explaining his excitement to be returning to Wembley.
The France international told Liverpoolfc.com: “I’m very happy to go there again – what a stadium – and everyone who was there for the last final there can realise how the fans, how the atmosphere, will be. I’m very happy to go again.
“When you win a trophy with Liverpool it’s just unbelievable. I have so many memories, all my family do as well, when we talk about the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup because I have just won these two competitions.
“But when you see the stands at the end of the game, you just have no words to describe what you can see and yes, it’s good to have this again.”
Virgil van Dijk was Liverpool’s match-winner in the 2023-24 Carabao Cup final as the captain dragged a team containing several Academy players to glory with a decisive goal deep into extra-time.
Konate, the skipper’s defensive partner, added: “I watched this moment again and again but I think the most important thing for me was the end, when we won, how the fans reacted in the stands. It was unbelievable and it’s just very nice.
“I think everyone plays football to play one day in a final. You have excitement, pressure, and we play football for that. At the end, when you get a good result, you can just be very happy with the fans and you can see the emotion in them. This is top.”
Konate and Van Dijk have again proven to be a formidable centre-back pairing this season and the former detailed: “We just realise that we are very important for the team and it’s like an insurance for everyone when we are at the back.
“We just think before every game to make a clean sheet, to give everything for the team. Some games we didn’t have a clean sheet but we did very well and we just have to keep going, keep pushing and to do something special this season.
“On the pitch and during training or before games, we talk about the opponent against who we will play and what we can do and how we can speak to the players. We talk a lot about that.”
Today’s 4.30pm GMT kick-off will be the Reds’ third meeting with Newcastle this season.
Arne Slot’s side took four points from the two matches in the Premier League – a 3-3 draw at St. James’ Park in December being followed by a 2-0 win at Anfield last month – and Konate expects another tough test this time around.
He stated: “We know Newcastle have a very, very good team. I think it will be a very good challenge but if you want to win something you have to play against the best players and the best teams.”