Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists he is NO xenophobe after Manchester City’s claim

Jurgen Klopp has dismissed claims that his comments before Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester City were ‘borderline xenophobic’, insisting he would hate himself if that was the case.

Liverpool have been exploring all legal avenues since Monday after an anonymous briefing from City alleged that Klopp, who said his side could not compete with the champions’ spending, had heightened pre-match tensions.

City doubled their stance after the 1-0 loss at Anfield, spreading the message that Klopp’s claim ‘there are three clubs in world football that can do what they want financially’ – presumably City, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle – was biased.

Klopp was told on Tuesday that he has resisted xenophobia all his life and he replied: “Absolutely. In this particular case, I don’t feel it at all. I know myself. And you can’t hit with something that’s miles away from my personality. If I was (xenophobic) I would hate it. I would hate myself for being like that.

“I’ve often said things that were a little prone to misunderstanding. I know that. It wasn’t meant to be, sometimes you say things and think, “Oh my God! It can be interpreted that way!” But this isn’t one of those moments. Absolutely.’

Relations between City and Liverpool are tense, but Klopp said he was surprised how a press conference in which he praised Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland and other aspects of the City team had caused such a stir.

“I know what I was thinking when I said it,” he added. “If someone misunderstands that, or wants to misunderstand that, I can’t change that. Should I be careful? I’ve known for years that I’m not always careful. I will try to do that in the future.

“Usually it’s never my intention to blame anyone. I’m just talking about things that I don’t think are that important in life, really. I say what I know about it, how I judge it or how I see it.’

City are not the only club at odds with Liverpool, as Eddie Howe seized his chance to stand up for Newcastle on Tuesday after Klopp said: ‘There is no ceiling – congratulations!’ about a club that has spent over £230 million in the past two windows.

“I’m aware that one or two comments may not have been quite right and that’s when I have to stand up for my club,” Howe said. What Dan Ashworth (the sporting director of Newcastle) meant was that there is no cap to our long-term ambition. It’s a tough one because it’s probably been used in the wrong way (by Klopp).

‘We have big plans, but there is a ceiling: Financial Fair Play. We don’t live the life being discussed.

“The club could have taken a completely different path with the takeover, I’m sure of that. But we did it the other way around. We didn’t spend the money that people might have thought we would. Our wage bill is checked.

“While we’ve spent money on players, it’s not extravagant or out of step with the rest of the Premier League. Everyone should be careful with their comments.’

Love is not lost between Newcastle and Liverpool, whose staffs were involved in spirited exchanges on the sidelines when the Reds won 2-1 at Anfield in August.

Newcastle were booed by the home crowd that night, as they were during Sunday’s goalless draw at Manchester United, but Howe said: ‘We don’t worry too much about what other people think of us.’

Merseyside police have opened an investigation after Manchester City reported criminal damage to their team bus at Anfield on Sunday.