Ibrahima Konate Surprises Liverpool Fans with His Ultimate Football Idol Choice

Liverpool’s dynamic defender, Ibrahima Konate, has stirred the pot by revealing his footballing idol, and it’s a choice that might not sit well with the Reds’ faithful. The Frenchman, a fixture in Liverpool’s backline when he’s not sidelined by injury, has formed a formidable partnership with Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defense.

Konate’s third season at Anfield began with the promise of continuity and development, having arrived from RB Leipzig in 2021. In his maiden campaign, he played an integral role in helping Liverpool reach the Champions League final, only to suffer a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in Paris, courtesy of Vinicius Junior’s second-half strike. It was a far cry from the 2018 final when Liverpool succumbed to a 3-1 loss against the same opponents.

In a surprising twist that might not resonate well with Liverpool supporters, Konate singled out a prominent figure from that Real Madrid side as his footballing hero. He expressed, “There are very few defenders who have managed to have as good a career as [Van Dijk]. I learn a lot alongside him. My goal, and he knows it, is to have a better career than him. My number one [idol] has long been Sergio Ramos.”

The mere mention of Ramos’s name tends to elicit mixed emotions among Liverpool fans, particularly those who vividly recall the 2018 final. That match will forever be etched in the memory of the Anfield faithful due to an incident involving Ramos and Mohamed Salah. In a tussle between the two, Salah suffered a dislocated shoulder, leaving Liverpool without their talisman early in the game.

This unfortunate incident triggered a storm of controversy, with the European Judo Union even weighing in to condemn Ramos’s challenge. Ramos himself, who now plies his trade with Sevilla, downplayed the incident, suggesting it was blown out of proportion and highlighting that Salah’s other arm, not the one trapped under him, was the one that suffered the injury.

Nonetheless, Ramos has become something of a “villain” in the eyes of Liverpool fans. Therefore, Konate’s revelation about idolizing the Spanish defender might not be received favorably by some segments of the Anfield faithful. The choice of Ramos as a role model could raise eyebrows and spark discussions among Liverpool supporters who still bear the emotional scars of that fateful night in Kyiv.