The image, which has gone around the world, was on the front page of all the Spanish sports press this Thursday. The photographer who took the photo tells us how he captured this moment, as unusual as it was memorable.
It’s a photo that went around the world in just a few hours. Which also became the subject of multiple humorous montages on social networks. Wednesday evening, during Real Madrid’s defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League (2-0), Kylian Mbappé found himself upside down, as if buried in the ground, following contact with a Reds defender in the first half.
In the front row, English photographer Peter Powell captured this incredible moment. He tells Le Parisien-Aujourd’hui en France how he did it. And is delighted to have taken THE photo of the match.
“I am 50 years old and I work as a freelance photographer in the United Kingdom for the national press and agencies. Wednesday evening, I covered the match between Liverpool and Real Madrid for the EPA agency with which I have collaborated for 13 years on major football events (World Cup, Euro and European finals). Before becoming a freelance photographer, I worked for 16 years for the News of the World newspaper.
On Wednesday night, I was sitting on one side of the pitch, along the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand. It’s not a position I usually occupy as I prefer to be behind a goal. But in this game, with Vinicius Junior injured, I knew that all eyes would be on Kylian Mbappé who was back in his preferred position, on the left wing, rather than at the forefront of the attack where he has played most of the season. So, I knew that Kylian would be a major story of this game, whatever the result, and I focused on him much more than usual.