KLOPP FIRED UP FOR MADRID:
JuRGEN KLOPP is ready to turn Liverpool into winners after leading them to club football’s biggest game on a nerveshredding night.
A 4-2 defeat in the Stadio Olimpico did not stop them reaching their eighth European Cup final with a 7- 6 aggregate victory over Roma. Klopp warned final opponents Real Madrid his side ‘will be ready’ on May 26.
Roma threw everything they had at Liverpool during what Klopp described as a ‘wild’ game — and it is his side’s ability to plunder goals that left the German confident they ‘will be on fire’ in Kiev.
Klopp said: ‘It was the first time we were not at our best so we needed luck but after this Champions League campaign we deserved it. It’s 7-6 on aggregate, which sounds crazy because it is crazy. We started in the qualifiers and it has been an amazing journey.
‘Now we go to Kiev and it is crazy. We’ve been in the League Cup final, we have been in the Europa League final. Nobody tells me ‘‘you took us to the final’’. I didn’t see any trophies after these. There is still a job to do.
‘Going to a final is nice but winning it is even nicer. You cannot be more experienced than Real Madrid. They are experienced; we are not. We will be on fire. We are looking forward to it.’
Liverpool’s celebrations were exuberant at the end, as they danced in front of their 5000 travelling supporters and held a banner up for stricken fan, Sean Cox, who was attacked by Roma fans and left in an induced coma before the first leg at Anfield. Klopp dedicated this success to the 53-year-old Irishman and he wants to finish the job, having lost the last five finals he has contested.
He added: ‘I need to start winning and I know that already. Everybody will remind me that I lost the last finals but that is life. The only chance to win a final is to go to one and we will try it again. The game was wild, they took all the risks, but we punished it with the first counter-attack.
‘It was more than a little bit exciting — a bit more than I wanted but it’s over and we’re fine. You don’t come to the final without luck. We’ve only needed it once and that was tonight.’
Captain Jordan Henderson said: ‘We never do it the easy way. It was an amazing effort. We handled the situation well apart from the last 10 minutes. We need to stop that but I’m delighted we’re in the final.’
James Milner was overcome at the final whistle. ‘Nobody said getting to the Champions League final is easy and we’ve beaten some great teams on the way,’ he said. Asked if he might be tempted to celebrate with a glass of Italian red wine, he joked: ‘Maybe for a few of the boys... I might stretch myself out to some Ribena!’
Roma were furious at some of the decisions which went against them and president James Pallotta was incensed by referee Damir Skomina.
‘It’s clear that VAR is needed in the Champions League because you just can’t let stuff like this go,’ he said before listing a string of contentious incidents. ‘You can all look at it yourself on the film. I know it’s difficult to ref, but it’s really embarrassing when we lose on aggregate like that. If we don’t get VAR in the Champions League, stuff like this is an absolute joke.’