"They were happy with Liverpool’s elimination in the quarter-finals of the Europa League" - Ex-Everton star fires dig as he joins Serie A club
Former Everton defender Ben Godfrey has aimed a dig at Liverpool after recently joining Serie A side Atalanta. The English defender spent four years with the Toffees, who maintain a fierce rivalry with their cross-town rivals.
The 26-year-old joined the Toffees for just over €27 million from Norwich in 2020 and made 93 appearances before his move to La Dea. At his first press conference as an Atalanta player, Godfrey could not resist aiming a jab at his last club's rivals, saying via Sport Witness:
“Ancelotti was one of the first who I contacted once I learned of Atalanta’s interest and he immediately advised me to go there. Serie A is a championship very strong where all the teams are tactically prepared. The Champions League is the dream of most soccer players.
“At Everton everyone was happy that I came here, like how they were happy with Liverpool’s elimination in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.”
Atalanta famously knocked the Reds out of the quarterfinals of the Europa League in Jurgen Klopp's final season (2023-24). They pummeled them 3-0 at Anfield in the first leg en route to winning the tournament. Godfrey hopes to enjoy similar success with the Serie A club moving forward.
Throwback to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp's furious reaction to a 3-0 home loss to Atalanta in Europa League
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was furious with his team's 3-0 capitulation at home to Serie A outfit Atalanta in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final. The Reds had hoped to claim the European competition in what was the legendary German's final campaign with the Merseyside club.
However, a brace from Gianluca Scamacca and Mario Pasalic's strike was enough to help Atalanta secure a 3-0 lead in the first leg. They lost 1-0 in the second leg but went through to the semi-finals.
Speaking to the press after the match, Klopp blasted his team, saying via The Guardian:
“It was a really bad game, oh my God. We started really well but didn’t continue. Before they scored we just lost the plot. We were everywhere and nowhere. Midfield was spread like that, right midfield and left midfield, I didn’t recognise it a bit. it was really strange."
"In football terms, that’s tactical discipline.They scored a goal and we kept playing into their hands.We played a bad game, we deserved to lose and we must feel that now"
Liverpool beat the Serie A side in the return leg in Bergamo but could not salvage the tie and went out 3-1 on aggregate. Jurgen Klopp moved on at the end of the season and has been replaced by Dutch manager Arne Slot.