16
I
t’s the day after the night before and Gini
Wijnaldum is a happy man. I may not be
able to see the Liverpool midfielder as we
chat over the phone, but I can almost hear the
smile on his face as he talks what he has just
experienced.
Less than 24 hours earlier, Liverpool’s 30-year wait
to be Premier League champions ended. Manchester
City’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea made it mathematically
impossible for Pep Guardiola’s side to catch the
Reds, despite still having seven games to play. It also
sparked joyous scenes at Formby Hall Golf Resort.
Jürgen Klopp, his players and staff had gathered
in the Merseyside coastal town to watch Chelsea v
Manchester City together.
You’ve no doubt seen on social media the
celebrations that ensued when the full-time whistle
blew at Stamford Bridge, confirming the Reds as
champions, but what was going through Gini’s mind
at that precise moment?
“I was screaming and celebrating with the players,”
he laughs. “I just thought: we did it!
“A lot of great Liverpool teams have tried to win
the Premier League before, but we did it. We did it
for the club. When you are used to winning titles it
is really hard if it stops. It is harder to accept for the
fans, so that’s what makes it so special for us. Many
have tried, but not a lot have succeeded, so it was a
really big accomplishment for us as a team.
“It was also really special because this was the
first one I watched together with my team-mates.
Normally we are together on the pitch, but this wasthe first game we watched together. It was special
to do that.
“It had already been a good feeling to see each
other after two-and-a-half months when we were
allowed to train again. At that moment it was a
really good feeling, but to share a moment like this
when you win the league is extra special, especially
because of the situation we are in right now.”
The situation Wijnaldum references is, of course,
the coronavirus outbreak and the worldwide
changes it has led to. Not only is winning the top
division of English football with seven games of a
38-match season completely unprecedented, never
before has the title been won so late in the calendar
year either.
This afternoon’s match against Aston Villa is also
the first league game the Reds have ever played at
Anfield in July and only the second competitive July
fixture here following a Champions League qualifier
against Welsh champions Total Network Solutions
in July 2005.
Later in July, when Liverpool face Chelsea in the
final home game of what has become a 12-month
season, captain Jordan Henderson will be presented
with the Premier League trophy. Seeing it hoisted
aloft by the skipper will be an historic moment,
but there will be no supporters inside Anfield to
witness it in person due to the current government
restrictions.
“That’s a big negative because the fans deserve
it,” says Gini. “They deserve to celebrate this title
with the team and with the club, but unfortunatelyTHAT WINNING
FEELING
Reds midfielder Gini Wijnaldum on mixed emotions, the moments that made
the difference, and a collective intent not to take the foot off the gas