Liverpool FC
Club History
Liverpool is one of the most successful teams in the history of English football, having won the English top division 19 times, second only to bitter rivals Manchester United.
Liverpool has also won six European titles, more than any other English team.
It enjoyed much of its success in the 1970s and 1980s, when it was built into a global force by iconic managers Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley. Shankly built a team capable of dominating the English league, while Paisley took this dominance into Europe. He remains one of only two managers, the other being Carlo Ancelotti, who has won the European Cup three times.
Liverpool has arguably been the most successful English club in recent years, having finished inside the Premier League’s top four each season since 2016-2017, and winning the league in 2019-2020. After falling to Real Madrid in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final, Liverpool defeated Tottenham the following year to earn their place as champions of Europe.
ICC History
With three different ICC appearances (2014, 2016, 2018), Liverpool has always been a fierce competitor in the tournament.
Their best performance was in the 2014 edition when the English giants won their group by defeating Olympiacos and AC Milan, and drawing Manchester City 2-2. These results helped them advance to the final in Miami against Manchester United. In the final Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool an early 1-0 lead, but Manchester United came roaring back and defeated the Reds 3-1.
During the 2016 ICC, the club started with a defeat against Chelsea but then managed back-to-back wins against AC Milan and FC Barcelona. The match against the Catalan giants was completely dominated by Liverpool and ended with a resounding 4-0 victory in London. The two wins catapulted Liverpool to another second place finish in the North America/Europe table.
The club’s latest ICC participation was in 2018, where they finished fifth in the table. They defeated both Manchester City (2-1) and Manchester United (4-1), but lost to Borussia Dortmund (3-1).
•ICC Appearances: 3
•Cities Played: Chicago, IL (2014), New York, NY (2014), Charlotte, NC (2014, 2018), Miami, FL (2014), Pasadena, CA (2016), Santa Clara, CA (2016), London, England (2016), East Rutherford, NJ (2018), Ann Arbor, MI (2018).
•Total ICC Attendance: 589,257 fans
•Best ICC Moment: Defeating Manchester United 4-1 in front of 101,254 fans in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Stadium - Anfield
With a capacity of 54,074, Anfield is the seventh largest football stadium in England. There are future plans to expand the stadium to hold a maximum of 61,000 fans.
The legendary grounds have played host to Liverpool since the club’s inception in 1892. Prior to that, Anfield was home to crosstown rivals, Everton, from 1884-1891.
As of December, 2020, Liverpool has not lost a match at Anfield since April, 2017. Their record of 24 consecutive league wins at Anfield during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons is the longest run in English top-flight history.
Manager - Jurgen Klopp
In the fall of 2015, after managing more than 300 games and winning two Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund, Jurgen Klopp agreed to manage Liverpool.
Since Klopp’s arrival, Liverpool has been to two UEFA Champions League finals, winning one, they’ve been crowned champions of the Premier League for the first time in club history, and they’ve won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Klopp is viewed as one of the world’s best managers, and his attacking style of play has made Liverpool one of the most exciting teams to watch over the last five years.
Key Players
Mohamed Salah
Signed in the summer of 2017 from AS Roma, Mohamed Salah became the first player to net more than 40 goals in one season for Liverpool since Ian Rush in the 1986-1987 campaign.
Salah won the Premier League’s Golden Boot as the league’s top scorer in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons. The Egyptian forward was also named Premier League Player of the Season in 2017-2018.
Salah’s presence has proven to be a major factor in Liverpool’s domestic and European success in recent years.
Sadio Mane
Sadio Mane joined Liverpool from Southampton in the summer of 2016 for a transfer fee of 34 million GBP. At the time, it was the most expensive transfer fee in history for an African player.
Mane has quickly become a star with the Reds. In 2018-2019, he scored 22 goals and was joint-winner of the Golden Boot award.
He is one of the world’s most complete players, and his abilities on and off the ball are the envy of many.
Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk joined Liverpool from Southampton in January, 2018 for a transfer fee of 75 million GBP. It was a world-record transfer fee, at the time, for a defender.
Widely regarded as the one of the best center backs on the planet, Virgil is known for his pace, tactical awareness, aerial prowess, and his skills from dead ball situations.
In 2018-2019, he was awarded Premier League Player of the Season, UEFA Defender of the Season, and UEFA Player of the Year. He also finished second in Ballon d’Or and The Best FIFA’s Player voting in 2019.