Liverpool fan Sean Cox – who was attacked by a Roma supporter outside Anfield in 2018 – embraces Jurgen Klopp in a heartwarming moment after the Reds went top of the Premier League with a win against Brighton
- Sean Cox reunited with Jurgen Klopp in a heartwarming moment at Anfield
- It came after Liverpool moved to the top of the league following a 2-1 win over Brighton
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Jurgen Klopp reunited with lifelong Liverpool fan Sean Cox in a heartwarming moment at Anfield after the Reds’ 2-1 win over Brighton on Sunday.
Mr Cox, from Dunboyne in County Meath, Ireland, was attacked by a Roma supporter outside Anfield in April 2018.
He was on his way to the match when he was the victim of an unprovoked attack, leaving him with life-changing injuries. Mr Cox suffered a serious brain injury and had to learn to walk again after the incident.
He traveled from Ireland with his family on Sunday to watch the Reds go top of the Premier League after Mohamed Salah’s second-half winner sealed victory over the Seagulls.
In a video on Liverpool’s X account (formerly Twitter), the German football manager was seen smiling as he walked towards the Liverpool fan and his family standing next to the tunnel at the football stadium.
Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool fan Sean Cox reunited at Anfield in a heartwarming moment
The two met in the tunnel of the stadium after Liverpool won 2-1 against Brighton on Sunday
Mr Cox stands up with the help of his family before the pair embrace with a hug.
The Reds manager also spoke softly to the supporter and can be heard in the video saying: ‘So happy to see you’ before shaking his hand.
The pair have met before, with the German announcing earlier this season that he would be leaving the club this summer, posing for a photo with Mr Cox in 2019 at Anfield.
The attack left the Liverpool fan in a coma for six weeks, with Mr Cox undergoing extensive rehabilitation at Liverpool’s Walton Center before being transferred to a hospital in Dublin. He returned to Dunboyne in March 2020.
Simone Mastrelli, from Rome, had pleaded guilty to assaulting Cox and was subsequently jailed for three and a half years in 2019.
Liverpool players previously honored the supporter by holding up a banner reading: ‘Sean Cox, You’ll Never Walk Alone’ after beating Roma in the away leg of their Champions League tie in May 2018.
Liverpool fans have also contributed to that help raise over £1.6 million (€1.9 million). to aid Mr. Cox’s recovery.
Klopp also made a donation of £4,500 (€5,000) to the Support Sean appeal in 2018, while Everton captain Seamus Coleman also donated £4,500 to the appeal.
The manager was seen shaking hands with Mr Cox and giving him a hug after the match
Klopp can be heard saying in the video: ‘So happy to see you’ as he spoke to Mr Cox
Liverpool players displayed a banner in support of Cox after he was attacked in 2018
Liverpool climbed to the top of the Premier League table after a 2-1 win over Brighton
He was also recently seen using an exoskeleton to help him walk again. The exoskeleton is an assistive device used to help people with limited mobility walk.
His wife Martina said her husband still enjoys going to Anfield to watch Liverpool play BBC: ‘It’s a tonic for Sean, really.’
A friend of Mr Cox’s family, Stephen Felle, said Irish independent: ‘Jurgen has a great personal interest in Sean’s story. When Martina wrote a book a few years ago, he launched it with Matt Cooper on The Last Word.’
“He is genuinely interested in Sean’s story and the club has had a standing invitation for three or four years.”