Bayern chief hits out at Iraola over Wirtz as Araujo reveals death threats
Bayern chief hits out at Iraola over Wirtz as Araujo reveals death threats

Liverpool return to Premier League action this afternoon with a home clash against high-flying Brighton, hoping to build on a dramatic midweek Champions League victory.

The Reds came from 2-0 down within 30 minutes to beat Villarreal 4-3, and Iraola is looking for that result to spark momentum after a winless start in the league at Anfield. He said: "I want to win games. At home, away, we need points, wherever we can get them."

"It's true that in the league the three [home] games we haven't won, but also our three games that for me have been high-level games – Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, Spurs – we've won them and we've had good performances at home also. I think now we play at home, we are going to also play at home the next two games, so I would love to win them, but if we were playing away I would say the same."

Bayern chief's accusation

Bayern Munich chief Uli Hoeness insisted Florian Wirtz would "play much better" at the Bundesliga giants than at Liverpool, claiming Iraola has not taken the time to integrate the winger into his style of play and has become "one of many" at the Reds.

Asked by Welt if he was "glad" to have missed out on signing the Germany international, Hoeness said: "No. Because Florian would play much better for us than he does at Liverpool. I watch a lot of the team's games. They haven't integrated him properly at all. In Leverkusen, he got every ball; in Liverpool, he's just one of many."

Bayern president Herbert Hainer was in agreement over Wirtz, adding: "I almost feel a little sorry for him that he hasn't yet reached the same form in England that he had at Leverkusen, because we also need him for the German national team."

However, Hainer ruled out any chance of a future move for the winger. He continued: "We have such a top-class squad, we're incredibly happy at the moment, and therefore it's not an issue for us."

Loanee reveals death threats

Ronald Araujo has opened up on the death threats he received during a difficult period in his career that led him to a "breaking point" in stepping away from football. Before his loan to Liverpool was confirmed in the summer, Araujo visited Stamford Bridge in the Champions League with his parent club, Barcelona.

After being sent off, the 27-year-old received threats to his life and those of his family members, prompting him to take a step back from the sport. Describing his emotional state, Araujo told The Times: "It was a very difficult time. I felt that what I needed to do was take a step back. I hadn't felt right for a long time, and I wasn't enjoying the thing I love most, which is football.

"I made the decision after being sent off at Stamford Bridge because that was the breaking point. I just couldn't carry on any longer, but it wasn't down to any one particular incident. A lot of things had been building up, particularly in my personal life, and I didn't know how to deal with them."

"I realised I had to put my hand up, ask for help and talk not just to the people closest to me, but to professionals as well. Sometimes you bottle things up and try to be the strong man, but in life you have to talk about things and open up about what you're going through."

Now, Araujo is thriving at Anfield and admits the Liverpool transfer was the right move. He added: "Taking that break was the best decision I've ever made. Today, I feel good, I'm happy and I'm enjoying football again, and that shows on the pitch. Now I can show what I'm really capable of again."