Jürgen Klopp feels ashamed and embarrassed by the “idiots” who damaged Manchester City’s coach and said Liverpool fans should not be allowed to intimidate European rivals outside Anfield again.
Uefa has charged Liverpool after the coach was struck by bottles, cans and flares before Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final and the Premier League leaders have criticised Merseyside police’s handling of their re-routed journey to the stadium.
The fiercest condemnation, however, has come from Liverpool’s manager who, almost 48 hours after his team’s superb 3-0 victory, was visibly incensed as he reflected on the reception afforded Pep Guardiola’s team. Klopp believes a minority let down Liverpool and have ruined what has become a feature of major European nights at Anfield for the majority.
In front of the television cameras on Friday Klopp apologised again to City and thanked them for stopping after the game – in a replacement coach – to treat an injured Liverpool supporter. “A perfect example for how it should be,” he said. Later, away from the cameras, Klopp could not hide his anger as he revealed he planned to apologise in person to Guardiola before the second leg.
“We haven’t spoken yet but I will when we meet again on Tuesday,” he said. “I feel really embarrassed, ashamed. It is like: ‘What?’ I cannot understand how you give this opportunity to the people to create something wonderful like this usually is.
“It was already on the edge with the flares or whatever, which are illegal, but it is nice and special. But then people do not understand the rules. If I was to make the decision I would say it is not allowed any more. It is not possible. You had the chance, didn’t use it, sorry. It was fantastic, a historical moment and I was part of the last time it happened.
“I don’t have the words. It is idiots in this situation. How can you do that? It is not a little bit funny. It is dangerous, it feels bad. I was on a bus once when someone threw a rock. You feel it. It was against Cologne and someone threw it through the window. You think if that hits my head, what happens? It is not funny. It is actually the complete opposite and I am really angry about it.”
Uefa’s disciplinary body will not consider the charges against Liverpool until 31 May, five days after the final in Kiev which could feature Klopp’s team, and it is unclear what measures police could take to prevent crowds forming to greet the coaches in the confined spaces around Anfield.
Klopp’s mood has also not been helped by injury problems before Saturday’s derby at Everton. Liverpool registered shirt numbers for six academy players with the Premier League on Friday – Liam Millar, Herbie Kane, Rafa Camacho, Curtis Jones, Adam Lewis and Nathaniel Phillips – although Klopp insists that was mainly for training purposes.
“It made sense because we had a training group that was not 25 players,” said the Liverpool manager, who has already registered the young central defender Conor Masterson. “But for sure one or two will be in the squad for tomorrow.”
Mohamed Salah has not been ruled out of the derby, despite suffering a slight groin problem against City, but is unlikely to start and Emre Can could be sidelined for the long term with a back injury. Klopp bemoaned “overly hard challenges” from Everton in recent encounters but insisted he would not give Sam Allardyce ammunition by calling for better protection from the referee Michael Oliver.
“If I say that now we will have someone not too far from here saying I am a soft German who is asking for help from somebody else,” he said. “You saw the challenges as well. None of them were from our side if I am right.
“But would anything change with whatever I would say now? No. It is a derby and there are a lot of people out there who love this part of the game. I hated it my whole life. It is a fact I never understood it. It is as silly as throwing something at a bus.”
