MERSEYSIDE DERBY YOU WERE IDIOTS
Klopp admits he is ashamed of fans for attacking City’s bus
JURGEN KLOPP has branded the Liverpool fans who attacked Manchester City’s coach idiots and says he is ashamed by their behaviour. Liverpool’s manager had wanted a week without distraction to prepare for two huge fixtures in the Champions League and the Merseyside derby but the episode on Wednesday, when the vehicle carrying City was bombarded with bottles, flares and heavy objects, has enraged him.
Yesterday, Klopp apologised once again to City for the treatment to which they were subjected and thanked their medical staff for attending to a supporter, who had been hurt in a traffic accident after Liverpool’s 3-0 victory.
He intends to speak privately with Pep Guardiola — they are likely to see each other on Monday ahead of the second leg — and Klopp is so angry heh bbelievesli ththe ttraditionditi off fans ‘welcoming’ Liverpool’s coach has been ruined.
‘I feel embarrassed,’ said Klopp. ‘I can’t understand how you give this opportunity to the people, to create something wonderful like this usually is. But the people do not understand the rules.
‘If I was to make the decision, I would say it (welcoming) is not allowed any more. It is not possible. You had the chance, you didn’t use it. Sorry. I don’t have the words (to describe my feelings). It is idiots in this situation. How can you do that? It is not a little bit funny.’
After Wednesday’s clash Klopp has little time to relax as his side head to Goodison Park today, aiming to consolidate their topfour place against opponents to whom they have not lost since October 2010.
The task of extending that sequence, though, has been complicated by a number of key injuries. With an already depleted squad, Klopp is wary that poor tackles by Everton players have been a feature of recent derbies. Divock Origi, Jordan Henderson and Joe Gomez were all on the receiving end of horrible fouls. And in a veiled snipe at Sam Allardyce, Klopp says he does not want to see another one.
‘If I say it now then we will have someone not too far from here saying I am a soft German who is asking for help from somebody else,’ said Klopp. ‘If you want to write it, write it. You don’t need me to say it. I don’t need the protection of somebody (the referee) but the right decisions help a lot.
‘You saw the tackles as well. None of them were from our side, if I am right. It is a derby and there are a lot of people out there who love this part (tackling) of the game. I hated it my whole life. It is a fact that I never understood it. As silly as throwing something at a bus.’