“There is no electricity in Clairefontaine, we have to pay the bills, plus we have EDF as a sponsor!“There may be no light in the interview room, but a sunny laugh radiates the room. Ibrahima Konaté, 24 years old and 1.94 m tall, takes up a lot of space with his constant good humor. He spoke to FranceInfo for around twenty minutes.
Comfortable in the exercise, even if he prefers the shadows to the light, the player was affable, funny, and of a rare sincerity in football. “Ibou” Konaté returned to the values instilled by his parents, his overwhelming passion for Japanese manga, Dragon Ball Z, and his role models when he was younger. XXL interview with the Liverpool central defender, who has become one of the new executives of the Blues.
Franceinfo: Ibrahima Konaté, rather Paris FC or FC Sochaux?
Ibrahima Konaté: Wow, what are these questions? (Laughter)
Sochaux is where you learned to become a footballer. Are there any values or advice that you learned there and that you still apply?
When I see that I’m upgraded with the U19s, and I said to myself: “One day, if I’m upgraded, it’s because I’m too strong” (laughter). When I arrived at the training center, I never thought I would be upgraded. There, I told myself with great humility that I was going to become a pro.
What do you keep from your years at Sochaux?
It’s outside of football, but it’s brotherhood. What allowed me to flourish in Sochaux was the brotherhood, trying to create this long-term colony to have fun together. So you don’t have to say to yourself: ‘The training center is hard.’ In truth, these are my best childhood memories, although I don’t have many because I was at the training center. The three years lived there were magnificent.
Rather Ronaldo or rather Paulo Maldini?
Ronaldo, the Brazilian, clearly, you can’t take him away from me. Against any other player, I choose him, directly (smiles). He was the one who made me love football. I played before, to pass the time. One day, with a friend of my brother named Clément, we were talking about football and he asked me if I knew Ronaldo. I tell him no and there he shows me videos of himself.
“It was like I was seeing art, magic. It fascinated me. I wondered how Ronaldo did these things with his feet. Then I watched all his videos and my only goal was to do it again gestures in the neighborhood.”
Ibrahima Konateat FranceInfo
So the comma [prendre le ballon de la partie extérieure du pied puis le rabattre avec l’intérieur du même pied]you master ?
In my neighborhood, the number of commas and small bridges (laughter) ! Even at the training center in Sochaux, you can ask any player, the comma was too much.
How do we go from the comma to the defense?
When I was at Paris FC, I had a coach who liked to make me a defender. I didn’t like it. We sometimes struggled on the subject. Once, my older brother even called him because I wasn’t happy. I had already signed at the Sochaux training center. But he made me play in this position for his interest. I didn’t accept it. When I arrived at Sochaux, coach Christian Walgenwitz also put me in central defense. I told him that my position was midfielder, he took it into consideration, it made me happy.
I remember during a match he said to me: “Come on, play midfielder.” And after the meeting, people called me Pogba, Yaya Touré (laughter). It was rare, during my first two seasons, that I played central defender. I was more of a midfielder, I did crazy things. When I went pro, I played defender and I couldn’t complain. You could even put me in goal, I would have played. Eric Hely told me: “You will end up as a central defender, you are technically good, you often have your back to the game. When you face the game, it will be very easy for you. You will end up as a central defender.”
“Van Dijk is exceptional”
Rather small bridge or tackle?
Today, it’s tackle, a thousand times.
What is a good defender for you?
When your teammates trust you, you are a good defender. If they are hesitant, it’s because there are still things to refine. Afterwards, you can always improve, but if your colleagues see you playing peacefully and they leave you alone – that’s not good (laughter) – it’s nice. My teammates tell me, but I tell them not to overdo it, I’m not perfect (smiles) !
Do you have any models? Virgil van Dijk, your teammate at Liverpool?
I don’t watch football that much, but in an interview I said Sergio Ramos. It was number 1, then Virgil van Dijk. But I wasn’t actually aware of it. When I played with him the first time, I thought I was crazy (laughter). He has ease, whether technically or defensively, pfff, it’s exceptional. But I take a bit of both to be an “assembled” version…. What a fusion! (laughs). At the time, I tiptoed from Leipzig. I arrive with determination, but I tell myself that it’s not going to be easy. I come with my mentality of a neighborhood guy, of a Parisian capable of surmounting Everest. But Virgil has been a positive support, already in training I’m learning a lot from him. He gives me a lot of advice, and it is valuable.
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“Before the matches, I put on DBZ fights”
Rather Goku or rather Vegeta?
Goku! He’s such an angry Vegeta (laughter). Besides, peace to his soul to Akira Toryama [auteur du manga Dragon Ball Z et décédé le 1er mars] and thank you for all the emotions it gave us.
Sometimes when I watch manga, my Liverpool teammates say to me: “Ibou you’re too big to watch this.” What they don’t understand is that manga is not just a visual pleasure, it inspires me every day.
“The mentality, for example, of a Vegeta, working to be better than the best, is something that motivates me. Sometimes, you’ll do a workout, you’ll think of him and it’ll boost you. It’s daily inspiration.”
Ibrahima Konateat FranceInfo
We have the impression that mangas are considered, like rap, as subculture?
But there are real messages! Sometimes, before certain matches, I put on fight scenes (laughter) and that gives me determination.
Rather celebrity or discretion?
Discretion. I don’t really like the light. I know that I have no choice and that this is part of the other side of the story, we must accept it.
What role does your family play in keeping you grounded?
There are several points that allow me to keep my feet on the ground and I hope that it will continue like this. The first point is religion. It teaches us to be humble, what we have today, we may not have tomorrow. You have to be humble with everyone and everything that can happen to us is not an end in itself. Then there is the education of parents, of the family. This is a very, very important point.
I’m a real fan of my father, because his mission was for his children to have a good education, to be well behaved, to respect everyone, the rich, the poor, the homeless, n ‘imported. But we respect everyone. Today, I have these values anchored in me and I hope to be able to pass them on to my children.
Klopp’s departure from Liverpool? “Everyone is apprehensive”
Rather Jürgen Klopp or Didier Deschamps?
(He bursts out laughing). I really can’t answer this question!
How did you accept his departure at the end of the season, which was hard to take?
He is one of the pillars of the club. I was very surprised, but when you listen to him, when you understand why he made this decision, you can only thank him.
Does this call into question your commitment to Liverpool?
Liverpool is Liverpool. It was Klopp who came for me and took me to the level I am at today. It will always remain a legendary, exceptional club. Everyone is apprehensive, every player is aware of that. Who will be the new coach, will things go well, collectively and individually? Because tomorrow a new coach arrives but for personal reasons, he may not like us. And you can’t stay at the club because you have your career, you have your pleasures. Afterwards, there’s not really too much to worry about at that level. Liverpool will get the job done and with what I’m doing on the pitch today, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work.
You have been at Liverpool for three seasons. What makes this club special?
I don’t even have the words to describe it, it’s a “sick crazy” club, sorry for the terms I use (laughs). Before arriving, I knew it, but playing for this club, it is a historic club. In all honesty, never in my life did I tell myself that at 21, I was going to sign for Liverpool. If I had had a career plan, it would have been to play at Sochaux, then in another club, but a team like Liverpool, not before the age of 27-28… I signed at 21, exceptional (laughs). Whether it’s the fans, the matches, Anfield, You’ll never walk alone…
The first time you heard the Liverpool anthem?
I was laughing stupidly on the pitch and trying to hide because I was afraid people would think I was crazy. The emotions that it brings… All the players here in the French team who were able to play there will tell you, it’s sick.
You will perhaps come across OM in the semi-finals of the Europa League [Liverpool affronte l’Atalanta Bergame, l’OM est opposé au Benfica Lisbonne] ?
I want to play against OM! We have already played against a French club, Toulouse. And I was pleasantly surprised, my teammates even thought I had played there.
At the Vélodrome, it won’t be the same welcome…
It’s not serious! (Bursts out laughing) I have friends from Marseille, whether players or fans. And even if there are insults, it’s part of the show. But above all, I already played there in the Europa League with Leipzig [défaite 5-2 en quarts de finale retour]and it was a magnificent atmosphere and I want to relive it.
Rather world champion or European champion?
I played both finals and lost them… (Laughs). But world champion. It was the final that hurt me the most. I realized that I might not have the chance to play it again. Or in four years, but a lot can happen. Whereas the Champions League, every year we can have the opportunity to win it.
You have become an indisputable starter for the Blues, what does that mean?
A few months ago, I wouldn’t have said I’m an executive. There, I take the path to become one. There is extreme competition in this position, but I am happy with it because it is healthy. Except perhaps William Saliba [le défenseur d’Arsenal, à la lutte avec Liverpool pour être champion]I don’t want him to win the title (bursts out laughing). When I see them, I tell myself that I have to be better and that allows me to set the bar high and to always work. I was lucky enough to start most of the time when I was there, but that’s not an end in itself. It’s like karting: when you’re all the way in front, it’s more difficult when people are running behind. The most important thing is when the collective wins and performs well.