Xherdan Shaqiri is confident that his new side Liverpool is capable of winning the Champions League this season.
Liverpool made a dream run to the Champions League final in May, but fell at the final hurdle when Gareth Bale scored twice to condemn the Reds to a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid. Shaqiri – who arrived from relegated Premier League side Stoke City – has played in Europe with Basel, Inter and Bayern Munich, where he won the Champions League in 2013. The star Switzerland international has set his sights on another winner’s medal with the Merseyside club.
“I hope I can repeat that because I know how it feels to win the Champions League,” Shaqiri told Sky Sports News. It is really amazing and I think we can do it. We have good quality – especially with the new players that have been brought in – they have very good quality. I’m looking forward to the new season and I hope we can finally win titles. I think the important thing is to be successful, and to be successful you need to win some titles and trophies and I hope we can lift some trophies this year.”
Shaqiri also admitted that Jurgen Klopp was a key reason why he signed with Liverpool, having become familiar with the German manager from his time in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, who Bayern defeated in that 2013 final at Wembley.
July 2015, saw Stoke agree a £12 million fee to sign Shaqiri, but the deal fell through when he did not agree to the move before a deadline imposed by the club The deal was revived a month later, however, with Shaqiri agreeing to personal terms and undergoing medicals. Everton had also expressed interest in him but only wanted a loan deal, while Inter preferred a permanent move. On 11 August, Shaqiri completed his move to Stoke for a club-record fee of £12 million (€14.5 million),on a five-year deal.
He made his debut eleven days later in a 1–1 draw with Norwich City at Carrow Road, assisting Mame Biram Diouf’s headed goal with a free kick. On 28 December, Shaqiri recorded his first goals for Stoke, a first-half brace in a 4–3 win at Everton. The second of these two goals was a half-volley over Tim Howard, from Bojan’s pass. His only other goal in 2015–16 was a 20-yard strike against Newcastle United on 2 March 2016. In total Shaqiri played 32 times for Stoke in 2015–16 as the side finished in ninth position.
Shaqiri scored a 20-yard free kick against Middlesbrough on the opening day of the 2016–17 season.However a calf injury ruled him out for the next six weeks, returning to the side on 24 September 2016 against West Bromwich Albion where he provided the assist for Joe Allen in a 1–1 draw. Shaqiri scored two long-range goals against Hull City on 22 October 2016, becoming the first Stoke player to do so in a Premier League game. He scored another long range strike also against Hull on 15 April 2017 which was named as Stoke’s goal of the season. Shaqiri made 22 appearances in 2016–17, as Stoke finished in 13th position.
In March 2018, with Stoke battling against relegation, Shaqiri courted controversy with an interview for Swiss magazine Schweizer Illustrierte in which he said there was a “lack of quality” in his Stoke teammates and that even the presence of Ronaldinho would not improve the team. Shaqiri played 38 times in 2017–18, top scoring with eight goals as Stoke suffered relegation to the EFL Championship.