>
Jurgen Klopp has defended his controversial comments about the spending of clubs including Manchester City after his comments were heavily criticized by the Premier League champions.
Klopp, speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s game with West Ham on Wednesday, claimed the bitter row following his comments was the result of a misunderstanding as he is a non-native speaker of English.
The German insisted he thought he had put his views into “perspective” when he said City were a club that could “do what they wanted financially” because of their ownership model.
“We don’t have to be best friends with other clubs, but people don’t want to be friends with us,” he said.
“It started with the question and I answered it. I know what I was thinking when I said it and I put it in perspective and said I respect what they do. It was still not good for some, but the most important thing as a club with our fans – we put in an incredible performance on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp angered Manchester City with his comments about the club
Klopp’s side defeated Manchester City 1-0 on Sunday in a game full of drama, suspense and controversy
“I know what I was thinking when I said it, if someone misunderstands that I can’t change that. I have to be careful. I know I’m not always careful, I just answer and say what I think.
‘I will try to do that in the future as well. Usually I never mean to blame anyone, I just talk about things. I say what I know or judge how I see it. None of the things that were made of was my intention.’
Klopp’s comments have sparked a war of words in recent days – both before and after their heated Premier League clash on Sunday, with the Reds claiming a crucial 1-0 win, thanks to Mohamed Salah’s late strike at Anfield.
Klopp called City a club that could ‘financially do what they wanted’ when his pre-match presser infuriated Pep Guardiola’s side.
Mohamed Salah scored the winning goal as Liverpool beat the title favorites at Anfield
“There are three clubs in world football that can do whatever they want financially,” Klopp said.
It is believed Klopp was referring to City, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United, all of whom are backed by the Gulf states. It’s a comment that has sparked a toxic feud between the two clubs.
In general, Klopp was complimentary about City, describing them as the ‘best’ team in the world and Guardiola as the best manager in the world.
City claimed Klopp’s pre-match comments had fueled the flames of tension between the two clubs, fueling the hostile atmosphere at Anfield, and believed his words bordered on xenophobic – a claim that has been denied by Liverpool.
Salah’s goal in the 76th minute proved the winner, but the game had already turned ugly. City supporters sang songs of stadium tragedies, including Hillsborough, as Guardiola became the target of three coins tossed by the home crowd.
Klopp admitted the actions of parts of Anfield’s home support had ‘overshadowed’ City’s win after coins were thrown at Guardiola.
“If something happens – if a man tosses a coin, that’s a fan, it’s a huge mistake and he will be punished,” Klopp said.
“The whole thing is overshadowed after a brilliant performance. There were situations that I don’t want to see because we have to save the players.’
During Sunday’s clash, Guardiola (left) was targeted with coins from home fans, while City also claimed an object was thrown at their team bus as they took off on Anfield Road (right)
Away fans covered the halls at Anfield with graffiti about Heysel and Hillsborough. City said they did not condone the behavior of their supporters, and Liverpool released a statement about the incidents, saying: “We are deeply disappointed to hear despicable chants.
‘The hall in the branch was also daubed with similar graffiti.
“We know the impact such behavior has on the families, survivors and everyone involved in such disasters.
“We are working with the relevant authorities and we will also work with Manchester City to do our utmost to ensure that these chants are eradicated from football altogether.”
Liverpool added that they would issue a lifetime ban to any fan caught on CCTV throwing coins at Guardiola.
The incidents in Sunday’s fiery match marked the latest installment in the tense rivalry between Liverpool and City.
City’s backroom staff claimed after last season’s 2-2 draw that they were spat at by supporters sitting behind the dugout. A subsequent investigation found no evidence to support this claim, The Times reported.
City fans have been accused of vandalizing the end at Anfield and singing chants about Hillsborough
City will not be penalized for the offending chant as the content was not considered discriminatory.
Klopp was sent off by referee Anthony Taylor in the 86th minute as the drama continued until the end of the game. The FA are waiting for Taylor’s report before deciding whether to charge the Liverpool boss.
‘I should have handled the situation differently. I usually. The whole game as it went, it was a very intense game with a lot of decisions that we didn’t understand. For me this was like “I don’t know”. If that makes sense, the bucket has overflowed,” the German added.
“I’m not happy with my reaction, but that’s how it was. Everyone saw it. I sat with Anthony Taylor after the game and talked calmly about the situation. But I got the red card and we’re waiting for the trial.’
Police became aware of another claim Monday when City claimed their team bus had been damaged by a missile as they left the area. Players and staff heard a bang at the end of Anfield Road and an inspection revealed a crack in the glass.
Footage from the bus company, Ellisons, will be passed on to authorities, who may also look at street cameras.
Sunday night marked the third time a City vehicle has been damaged near Anfield, including the big 2018 Champions League clash incident that Guardiola referred to on Sunday: “Next time they will do better,” Guardiola said when was asked for the currency. -throw. ‘They haven’t got me. They got it on the bus years ago, but not this time.’