Top News

Over his five-year spell with Liverpool, Fabinho became a pivotal figure during one of the club’s most transformative eras in recent history.

As a key member of the team that ended the Reds’ 30-year wait for a league title in 2020, the Brazilian midfielder also lifted the Champions League, FA Cup, and Club World Cup while playing at Anfield.

However, the 2022/23 season concluded on a disappointing note, with Liverpool finishing fifth in the Premier League and making early exits from all domestic and European cup competitions. That campaign ultimately turned out to be Fabinho’s last with the club.

The former AS Monaco midfielder decided to trade Merseyside for Saudi Arabia, even though at 29 years of age, he was still performing at his peak. But what prompted that decision?

“I spent five years at Liverpool, and when the offer from Saudi Arabia came, I discussed it carefully with my family because we really loved both the club and the city,” Fabinho shared with FourFourTwo.

“We already had a home there and were settled for the long term. But in the end, we chose to accept the offer. I came to Saudi Arabia proud and content with the legacy I left behind at Liverpool.”

“It was a fresh challenge, a new place, a different culture, but my ambition to keep winning stayed the same. Al Ittihad were competing in six tournaments in my first season, including the Club World Cup,” he explained. “I wanted to be one of the main players driving that ambition. Of course, the opportunity to sign a strong contract also played a big part.”

Although the appeal of a new adventure was strong, Fabinho has often spoken about how difficult it was to bid farewell to Liverpool and how fondly he remembers his time in English football.

“I don’t know if I can express it completely in words,” he said. “Some clubs are so special that you only understand their true magnitude when you experience them day after day.”

“Travelling on pre-season tours to places like Thailand, Singapore, and the USA, seeing packed stadiums everywhere, you really grasp how massive the club is. And back in the city, witnessing the fans’ passion up close is something incredible.”

“After playing for Liverpool, I now always want to represent clubs with big, passionate fanbases because what I lived there was extraordinary. Being part of a successful team was something truly beautiful,” Fabinho concluded. “My time at Liverpool will always remain unforgettable.”