At just 23 years old, Ibrahima Konaté is aiming for the first European title of his young career, this May 28, 2022 in Saint-Denis in the final of the Champions League. The Paris-born Liverpool central defender has been one of the Reds’ revelations this season. A coronation against Real Madrid could establish his growing notoriety. And bring him closer to the France team.
Ibrahima Konaté was born on May 25, 1999 in Paris. For his 23rd birthday, the central defender of Malian origin has a perfect gift on his list: a title of European champion at home. The one who was trained at Paris FC should indeed play in the Champions League final (C1) with Liverpool against Real Madrid on May 28, 2022 in Saint-Denis.
In front of his relatives, will the player also passed by Sochaux (France) and Leipzig (Germany) be a starter, with Virgil van Dijk? In any case, he has been regularly, in recent weeks, alongside the Dutchman or the Cameroonian Joël Matip. He was particularly so during the last three days of the English Championship (Premier League), in the FA Cup final (penalty penalty win against Chelsea), and during the quarter-finals and semi-finals of C1 des Reds. And even if he has not always been to his advantage – like against Wolverhampton on May 22 – the former Sochaux player has the confidence of his coach, Jürgen Klopp.
Valuable cup player and goalscorer
Since his arrival last summer from Leipzig, Ibrahima Konaté has sometimes made an impression and scored crucial goals for his club: opening the scoring in the quarter-finals home and away against Benfica Lisbon in the Champions League, against Manchester City in the semi-finals of the FA Cup… Each time from a corner, with a header and with authority.
The Parisian knows how to impose his 196 centimeters in the opposing surfaces as in his own. The one who was recruited against 40 million euros thus impresses even his opponents. At the end of a match full of control against AC Milan in December, the Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic had thus exchanged his jersey with the one who had made the evening difficult for him.
While waiting for the France team?
Ibrahima Konaté, on the other hand, has not yet been selected for the France A team, despite often solid performances and already two trophies won with the Reds (FA Cup and League Cup). A situation about which Didier Deschamps, the coach of the Blues, explained himself after having revealed the list of players summoned for League of Nations meetings in June.
” Obviously I amreplied Deschamps, at a press conference. He has an interesting profile. But since he has been at Liverpool he has mainly played in a 4-man defence. There is competition, William Saliba [défenseur central à Marseille, Ndlr] met my expectations and plays in a three-defender system. There are a lot of young players who are growing, so much the better, it allows the older ones not to fall asleep. He [Ibrahima Koanté, Ndlr] has all the qualities of a modern defender, but William Saliba has them too “.
Unbeaten with Liverpool
This Champions League final may be an opportunity for Ibrahima Konaté to show that he has his place in the selection, alongside Raphaël Varane, Presnel Kimpembe and many other high-level central tricolors. Because in the Madrid camp, there will be in particular Karim Benzema, captain of Real, number one asset of the Merengue and contender for the Ballon d’Or. A huge challenge ahead.
Not enough to paralyze the person concerned, however, if he is preferred to Matip in the starting lineup. Because he has already faced attackers of the caliber of Robert Lewandowski or Cristiano Ronaldo… And, on the side of Ibou – his nickname in the Premier League – there is enough to have some confidence, even if the pressure at the Stade de France will be maximum : in 28 appearances with Liverpool, he has not lost a meeting…