Roberto Firmino: Hoffenheim scout Lutz Pfannenstiel reveals how he discovered Liverpool star
Director of Football took a chance on forward when he was a teenager at Figueirense
HOFFENHEIM director of football Lutz Pfannenstiel has revealed how he scouted Roberto Firmino.
The Bundesliga club bought the Brazilian for just £3.5million as a teenager and sold him to Liverpool last summer for £30m.
Firmino, 25, has become a star under Jurgen Klopp and is currently keeping Daniel Sturridge on the bench.
Playing in a ‘false 9’ role, the Brazilian has five goals and three assists in 10 games for Klopp’s Reds, who are currently top of the Premier League.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Pfannenstiel revealed how he discovered a star.
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The conversation was had off air, but presenter Paul Hawksbee then asked how it came about.
Hawksebee said: “Lutz, you were saying with Firmino, you and a colleague found him, did all the work on it and he went to Hoffenheim for £3.5m quid?”
To which he replied: “Yeah, £3.5m roughly.”
The German then admitted he feared that initial pay out could have been too much.
“If you’re getting a guy from the second league in Brazil, only 17 – 18-years-old,” he added.
“Straight away people think he needs to play in the first team directly.
“So people were saying you’ve paid that amount for a player who hasn’t made it yet.
“In the end we sold him for €42m plus [future] payments, so in the end I think we did it right.
“I think it’s good scouting, definitely.”