On The Ball | Liverpool in mourning again as Alisson Becker grieves tragic loss of father – club must pull together the Anfield way
- The body of Jose Becker was found after the 57-year-old former goalkeeper reportedly drowned while swimming
- With talismanic Alisson out indefinitely, manager Klopp, who lost his mother in January, has to rally the troops
A grim year for Liverpool took a worse turn on Wednesday when news emerged that goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s father drowned at his holiday home in southern Brazil.
Jose Becker had been swimming in a dam when he went missing in late afternoon on Wednesday. The body of the 57-year-old was found after a search was launched on the property.
This is the second tragedy to befall Liverpool this year. Last month Jurgen Klopp’s mother died in Germany. The manager was unable to attend the funeral because of Covid-19 restrictions.
The latest blow will cast another pall over the club. The 28-year-old’s father had a huge influence on his life. Jose Becker was an amateur goalkeeper and encouraged Alisson and his brother Muriel to play in the position. Muriel now keeps goal for Fluminense and the brothers were clubmates at Internacional until Alisson’s career trajectory outpaced his older sibling.
Alisson, his wife Natalia and their two children have a positive support network on Merseyside. He is close to Brazilian teammates Roberto Firmino and Fabinho and there are healthy links between South American players at other Premier League clubs in northwest England.
