JURGEN KLOPP CRITICISED journalists for playing an “easy game” over his comments about Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final at Camp Nou and also slammed “s***” stories regarding his feelings towards Barcelona’s former Reds midfielder Philippe Coutinho.
In a pre-match interview with DAZN, the Liverpool manager recalled taking his squad to watch a 2016 Champions League match between Barcelona and Borussia Monchengladbach, in an attempt to assuage any fear factor surrounding playing at one of Europe’s most famous stadiums.
“It wasn’t a top game as such because Barcelona were pretty dominant, but it was important for the team to see that it was just a football stadium and not some sort of temple or something,” Klopp said.
This was construed as a slight in some quarters, including apparently by Barcelona’s social media team, who tweeted a video clip of Camp Nou that was captioned: “Our home. Our temple. Our fortress.”
At his pre-match news conference ahead of Wednesday’s keenly anticipated clash, Barca coach Ernesto Valverde dismissed the furore.
“What he meant by that is it’s just two goals and 22 players chasing after a football,” Valverde said.
Speaking after his opposite number, Klopp displayed clear exasperation when the matter was raised.
He said: “This is such a poor game, eh. Journalists…
I have to give like 500,000 interviews before a game like this, you say something and they pick the word out and they say, ‘he said no temple of football!’.
“I say 500,000 positive things about Barcelona and you try to play that easy game and you try to make a big thing.
“I am a football fan much longer than I am [a coach], what could I say that is bad about this stadium?
“But it is still a stadium where you want to play football, good football, the best football we can play. That’s allowed and that’s why we try it.”
Klopp was similarly wary when asked about Coutinho, who has generally flattered to deceive since moving to Catalonia from Anfield for €160million last January.
I know a lot of people make s*** stories about that,” he said. “Yes, we miss Phil Coutinho a lot because he’s a world-class player.
“I loved working together with him but we’ve had to deal without him and we’ve done well. That’s all I can say about that. He’s a really good player.
“When I first heard he wanted to go to Barcelona, I couldn’t imagine that we would do this well without him but we did and it’s all good. For both sides.”
Messi is giving him nightmares and cold sweats. I imagine him rocking feverishly in his chair at 3am, fingernails dug into the wooden armrests. Poor Jurgen. At 10pm tomorrow he will be set free of his torment, for a week at least
@Ronan McGrath: Banter?
@Ronan McGrath: how’s that stephen king novel going?
@Cionnadh:
Lighten up ffs.
@Ronan McGrath: nothing better than a load of shit to start the ball rolling. Silly.
Check out @glioriginali_’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/glioriginali_/status/1123338401929998336?s=09
@john murray: fantastic support
@john murray: I’m surprised 12 minutes have passed since you posted that and no fans here have been on trying to defend that
@john murray: ya d×ckheads. There’s no defending that. There is some pillocks out there.
@john murray: even better support
https://twitter.com/Jayzinq/status/1116630524389253125
But every club unfortunately has that element in it. Hopefully some of the footage in the clip you showed can be used against them
@john murray: every English soccer team has some lout supporters
@john murray: It’s why the rest of the premier league is #any1butscousers! Never seen a team so hated and a side so not wanted to be champions in my life %75 on a hys last week, watching footie over 40 years can never remember it before, Utd a bit cos they won everything……
come on Barca/City
@John O Reilly: well to some people on 42 ALL Chelsea fans and racist
@john murray: are,*
@Dougal67: https://youtu.be/5m6BHuTxZ2c
This lad is 100%, watch the full video but especially around 6.20 minutes Dougal
@themansam: See
@themansam: @themansam: Seen it take some to beat the scousers, didn’t u rob your own fans and their children for tickets champs final years ago!!!!!!
Even Uefa said they’ve never seen the likes of it before!
https://www.google.ie/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/2007/jun/04/newsstory.sport13
Why do u think most of prem want yous to lose???
@Dougal67: https://youtu.be/zBeeZVd6urI
Hard to see why the world thinks this of Chelsea
@themansam: Easy to see what world thinks of pool fans, After study since 2003 Eufa found Liverpool fans worst behaved in Europe, but hey you know better apparently?
@Dougal67: did you have a look at the videos there pal?
One never knows with Football but WE ALL KNOW WHO IS BETTER AT THE GAME. Still in sport and especially Football one never knows what can happen.
@El_Monikerinho: easy on the sauce.
Klopp = total B L U F F E R
@El_Monikerinho: klopp has managed his team to the top of the premiership where they are still in with a shout of winning, the final of the champions league last year and so far the semi final this year………….. you are an anonymous keyboard warrior on a small Irish sports news app. I wonder who the bluffer is! Clown.
@BrianBoru: you’re right, but you’re also anonymous so you can’t really use that against him
@Johnny Ryan: sure I can.
@BrianBoru: In with a shout, Cl final last year, semi’s so far this year.
But what has he actually won?? He’s spent over £350m in 2.5 years and not even a coca cola cup to show for it.
@Weldoninhio: sure sure, but it hardly makes him a bluffer now does it.
@Weldoninhio: how much has he sold though? Every year there’s been an improvement. The priorities have been league and champions league. Give me this over Europa league and relegation zone under Hodgson