Former Liverpool and Senegal star forward El Hadji Diouf has played down the importance of the Merseyside club winning their first Premier League title in 30 years amid the current coronavirus crisis.
Diouf, a two-time African Player of the Year (2001 and 2002) was on the books at Anfield from 2002-05, but has since fallen out of favour with the Liverpool supporters due to constant criticism of the club and legends such as Steven Gerrard.
Last season, Diouf claimed Liverpool had bottled the title and blown a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of ending their Premier League drought.
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Jurgen Klopp’s men have opening up a 25-point gap on second-placed Man City and were heading towards a record-breaking season before the Covid-19 outbreak brought the campaign to a halt.
Asked about how impressive the Reds have been this season, Diouf told Mirror Football : “Until it’s mathematically won, nothing is won yet. In football it’s never done until it’s all done.
“You can have hundred chances to be champion and you will miss it. Some years ago Liverpool were leading and everyone said that was their year but Steven Gerrard slipped and everything changed from there.
“That is football for you and so for me, life is more important than Liverpool winning the title, first we all have to be safe and be alive before talks of resuming a league or handing them the title.”
The Korea/Japan 2002 FIFA World Cup star suggested a thought should also be spared for other teams facing ramifications due to the crisis.
“Everyone talks of Liverpool but other teams are also important,” he added. “My former team Lens in France have been trying to come up for many years and when it looked like they would this year the virus struck.
“Everyone talks of Liverpool but other teams are also important,” he added. “My former team Lens in France have been trying to come up for many years and when it looked like they would this year the virus struck.
“Another team I played in, Leeds, have also been trying to come up for years and it looked like they would this year and then this happened again so for me it’s not about just Liverpool.
“I would be happy if they won it because I played there and my boy Sadio [Mane] is leading them towards it, but of course it’s not won yet.”
Diouf also commented added on the ongoing discussions on wage deferrals and a cut in monthly wages for footballers in the Premier League.
“This is always expected as mostly the easy target is always the players but for me I think it’s about conscience and truthfulness,” Diouf explained.
“This virus goes beyond football or athletes, it’s about governments helping and if governments help and footballers can help that is it because footballers or athletes are not the solution.
“The football world is already doing a lot in my opinion; Man City I’m told have given their stadium [to temporarily help the relief effort] and there are a lot of clubs doing their best too.
“A lot of people just draw in footballers or athletes because we earn a lot of money but we are not the solution we are only helping to find the solution.”
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