![\"Roberto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/0_GettyImages-2213236516.jpg\")
Former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino lifts the AFC Champions League Elite trophy with Al-Ahli(Image: Yasser Bakhsh\/Getty Images)<\/p>\nRoberto Firmino was full emotion after the former Liverpool favourite won his first trophy with Saudi Arabian club Al-AhliFormer Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino lifts the AFC Champions League Elite trophy with Al-Ahli(Image: Yasser Bakhsh\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Former Liverpool hero Roberto Firmino cried tears of joy after winning his first trophy since leaving Anfield<\/a> in 2023. The 33-year-old recorded two assists and earned the player of the tournament award for his contributions as Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia were crowned AFC Champions League Elite winners.<\/p>\n Al-Ahli were playing Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale, who had eliminated former Red Sadio Mane and Al-Nassr from the semi-finals<\/a>, in Jeddah’s grand final. It marked an important opportunity for captain Firmino<\/a>.<\/p>\n Two years ago he was not granted another Liverpool<\/a> contract and will have seen from afar a number of former teammates win a second Premier League<\/a> title last weekend. The Brazilian has since endured a challenging period in Saudi Arabia, dropped from his team’s domestic league squad this season<\/a> and subsequently thrust into yet more transfer rumours.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Dean Huijsen answers transfer question as Liverpool given fresh reason to strike \u00a350m deal<\/a>READ MORE: Liverpool tipped to make \u00a329m Trent Alexander-Arnold decision amid Real Madrid interest<\/a><\/p>\n His only action available is therefore in Asia and the Middle East’s continental competition, and it has clearly been Firmino’s mission to excel.<\/p>\n Assists for fellow Brazilian Galeno and former AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie were his 12th and 13th goal contributions of this season’s AFC Champions League<\/a> Elite, and were pivotal in his club winning a trophy they had never before managed to in their 88-year history.<\/p>\n “There’s no words to express what I feel inside of my heart. Both of my hearts,” the former Liverpool man said with his trademark wide grin after the final whistle.<\/p>\n “They take me out of the league [squad] and of course leave me in the Champions League [squad]. I don’t give up. I never give up.<\/p>\n “I know who bring (sic) me here and I want to give back all the glory to God. He knows what plans are ahead for us.<\/p>\n “The great team, it is a pleasure to be a part of this big club.”<\/p>\n When the final whistle blew, Firmino was embraced by his teammates, which included former Premier League stars Riyad Mahrez, Ivan Toney and Edouard Mendy.<\/p>\n The 33-year-old was caught by cameras with a twinkle in his eye, a result of happy tears for adding to the six club-level trophies he won across his eight-year spell on Merseyside.<\/p>\n “My thoughts come in my head. The bad moments through these times, I keep out. I stay two months without playing but you have to believe, to fight,” he added as reasoning for his emotions coming out.<\/p>\n “That city, Riyadh, Riyadh will get it today. I am very grateful. All the glory be to Jesus. Thank you.”<\/p>\n In 362 appearances, ‘Bobby’ scored 111 Liverpool goals and created a further 76. A treasured member of a deadly attacking trio alongside Mane<\/a> and Mohamed Salah<\/a> with a mural on Anfield Road as recognition, he remains a firm fan favourite amongst Reds fans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Roberto Firmino was full emotion after the former Liverpool favourite won his first trophy with Saudi Arabian club…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":73405,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8815],"tags":[748,393,4884,179,763,33024,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-73404","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-liverpool","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-liverpool","12":"tag-liverpool-fc","13":"tag-roberto-firmino","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114448670694173510","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73404\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}