It was a historic comeback win for the ages on Tuesday night as Liverpool FC beat FC Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield, and with that 4-3 on aggregate in the Championship League semi-finals. They are now back in the UCL final for the second consecutive season, where they will go for their sixth European Cup.
If they beat Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid on June 1, the Merseyside club will have sole possession of third place on the list of most European Cup/UCL titles won.
Yesterday morning we had the honor of an exclusive call-in interview with LFC legend Vladimir Smicer, whose Champions League final heroics of 2005 have ensured he’ll forever be a part of Reds history.
Vladi and I covered a whole host of topics, as we head into what will be a really exciting weekend for Liverpool, and the rest of the Premier League. We discussed the quest for the Premier League and Champions League trophies, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, the upcoming preseason tour of the USA and so much more.
Full audio of this exclusive interview with Vladimir Smicer is below:
On the exciting Champions League comeback versus Barca, what makes European nights so special at Anfield
Vladimir Smicer: “European nights are special at Anfield because of the history of the club. So the fans at Anfield they feel we can beat on any one night, anybody at Anfield, with the support and they feel it’s a special place, magic place. The fans of other teams they talk about Anfield and how tough it is play for qualification.”
“You asked me was it the greatest comeback and I would say probably yes, because we lost to Barcelona 3-nil and then we beat them 4-nil without extra time in 90 minutes, so it must be one of the greatest wins for our team, for Liverpool football club at Anfield.”
On the prospects for Championship Sunday
“It’s a tough situation, a tough position in the league for us, one point behind Manchester City…It’s a big final day for us, for 29 years we thought we’re going to win the league and really this year is the year I thought we can do it, and unfortunately for us, Manchester City they’re doing so well.”
“I think the Tuesday result and the win at Newcastle, which wasn’t easy, it put pressure on Manchester City. It showed we’re still here, we want to win the league.”
On ending the silverware droughts
“They have played really well in Europe and in the Premier League, so I hope they will be rewarded, and especially Jurgen Klopp will be rewarded with a trophy. Even if it doesn’t happen in the league, they still have a chance to win something this year in the Champions League.”
On the LFC U.S. Tour
“it’s an important time for the players, the club, for the upcoming season, it’s always time to train well, so I think it’s great for the fans, they can see the LFC players at the place where they live, because most of the time they’re watching from TV.”
On Liverpool FC, one of the world’s most historic and accomplished soccer clubs, playing matches at three very iconic stadiums: Notre Dame Stadium, Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium.
“As a football player you want to play at the big stadiums, where there’s history, you want to be there and feel the moment. These three stadiums are really iconic venues for U.S. sports, it’s like Wembley or Real Madrid in Europe. Unfortunately, I cannot play there, I wish I could, but at least I’ll be watching from the stands and I can’t wait. “
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, also contributes to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.