Translator tricksĪ year later, Costante explains, UEFA began to take pre and post-match press conferences ahead of Champions League and UEFA Cup games more seriously. It led to him working at the final itself, where he was pitch-side, announcing the team line-ups and relaying important information to the Milan and Juventus supporters. Having worked in Brussels for the G-14 organisation of leading European clubs, he was asked by Philip Dickinson, the owner of the Premier Language Solutions agency, to provide interpretation at a planning meeting before the game. “Starting the applause was not really necessary because I was only doing what I get paid for – even though it was really nice of him.”Ĭostante first landed on the football scene in 2003 ahead of the all-Italian Champions League final between AC Milan and Juventus at Old Trafford. Klopp started a round of applause for Costante after he had finished, declaring “What a man” – and the clip went viral across social media.Ĭostante, who is fluent in Italian and French, says: “I was a little embarrassed by that, but only in the sense that I was just doing my job.
That was until April 2018 when Costante, Nottingham-raised but of Italian heritage, sat next to Klopp ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League game against Roma.Īfter the Reds boss had given a long answer to a journalist’s question in the press conference, he watched in awe, smiling and laughing throughout, as Costante translated his words into Italian. Sitting alongside managers at pre and post-match press conferences, as well as in one-on-one interviews, over the subsequent 15 years, you’ll have heard him speak countless times without ever thinking too much about it. You probably haven’t heard of Tony Costante, but thanks to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, you’ll almost definitely have heard him speak.Ĭostante, a freelance translator and interpreter, has been working in football since 2003.
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