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The presenter whose brilliant Luis Diaz interview silences the sexist brigade

Alex Aljoe interviews Luis Diaz – The football presenter whose brilliant Luis Diaz interview silences the anti-woman brigade
Alex Aljoe asked Luis Diaz about his goals and his form in a central role for Liverpool - Amazon Prime Video

Alex Aljoe received praise for her impressive bilingual post-match interview with Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, seamlessly switching between English and Spanish and translating the Colombian’s comments for viewers at home.

Pundits have come under fire at times for their post-match interviews in recent years, such as Jürgen Klopp’s repeated attack on TNT Sports, to Joey Barton’s criticisms of female presenters including Eniola Aluko and Gabby Logan.

In the aftermath of Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Xabi Alonso-managed Bayer Leverkusen to move top of the new Champions League, as well as sitting at the summit of the Premier League, Aljoe epitomised the broadcast skill of the post-match interview.

Diaz claimed a hat-trick as Liverpool scored all four goals in the second half against a team managed by the man many perceived as the rightful successor to Klopp.

Posing the after-match questions on Amazon Prime, Aljoe presented in English to the camera before turning to Diaz and repeating the questions in his native Spanish, then translating the answer for the viewers back into English.

She asked about the goals, Liverpool’s position, Diaz’s form in a central role, and his need to find the match ball, which had apparently gone missing.

“Yes it’s the most important thing now that I go and find that ball because I need to keep it somewhere special at home” said Diaz. “I’m so happy with the three points and the win.”

When asked about the match, Diaz said: “The manager makes it very clear to us exactly what he wants and he makes it very clear to us our positions on the pitch. The most important thing is the three points in this edition of the Champions League, so we can keep progressing in the competition.”

Switching language mid-question to remain engaged with Diaz, it was an interview that has impressed viewers. Many post-match interviews can be stilted with players less comfortable speaking in a second language, resulting in shorter, less-expansive answers.

Social media users widely praised Aljoe’s skill with the questions and calls for her to be used more often within regular coverage by Sky Sports, having already presented on the news channels.

Laura Woods led the criticism of former manager Barton when he claimed in December 2023 that women were keeping men out of jobs. The former Premier League footballer was then also summoned to court over some of his comments, including comparing Aluko and fellow pundit Lucy Ward to serial killers Fred and Rose West.

Barton however is not alone in his views, with former England manager Kevin Keegan said he did not like listening to female pundits talking about the men’s national team.

But Aljoe’s interview and language skills displayed after Liverpool’s win far eclipsed what many of the male pundits have been able to offer, and viewers responded in kind.