'I knew I had to quit Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp decision - it was the final straw'
Roberto Firmino has detailed the reason behind his decision to leave Liverpool back in 2023 to move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli
Roberto Firmino has admitted that a last-minute substitution against Wolves in the Premier League was the reason he left Liverpool.
The flashy forward left Anfield in June 2023 after eight years at the club, scoring 111 goals and assisting 75 times in 392 appearances. He secured the Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, Carabao Cup and the FA Cup in his list of honours with Liverpool.
The Brazilian international then made a move to the Saudi Pro League to play for Al-Ahli, and detailed the reasons why he left his beloved Liverpool in the book Si Senor: My Liverpool Years’.
Firmino, who turns 33 today, said: "The straw that broke the camel’s back was a match against Wolves, in which I came on as a substitute in the last minute. That was it. Right there, I understood.
"As we say in Brazil, the penny dropped. I knew now. I called my agents. Roger Wittmann and Christian Rapp met with me for a face-to-face talk. We left the living room and went to my room: just me, Christian, Roger and Larissa, no distractions. Christian and Roger were perfectly transparent about everything that was happening and the club’s view of my future.
"It wasn’t a war. It was just a difference in understanding about what I could offer to Liverpool. I reflected a lot and realized that God’s plan was to take me somewhere else. The signs were all there since that conversation with Pastor Daniel in Maceio. I had been stubborn.
"God didn’t want me to stay in Liverpool, but I was insisting. I didn’t listen. But I couldn’t avoid it any more. It was time to accept. I decided it was time to seek another challenge for myself, another purpose. My time at Liverpool had come to an end."
The 33-year-old has struggled to dazzle in Saudi Arabia like he did at Liverpool and has registered 19 goal contributions in 43 matches. so far during his stint in the Gulf State.
Firmino was joined by a number of Premier League talents again this summer as Saudi Arabian clubs continue to splash the cash following Cristiano Ronaldo's trailblazing move to Al-Nassr in 2022.
The Brazilian, who will go down as a Liverpool icon for his exploits under Klopp, is now part of a star-studded attack alongside Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney, who joined in a £40m deal back in the summer. Despite this, Firmino's side have got off to a slow start and have accumulated just seven points from their first five games, leaving them in seventh.
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