I did not want a Shaq sideshow, declares Klopp

JURGEN KLOPP has defended his controversial decision to stop Xherdan Shaqiri travelling to Serbia and insisted it had nothing to do with concerns for the Swiss player’s safety.

Shaqiri, who was born in Kosovo to Albanian parents, caused a storm during the 2018 World Cup in Russia when he celebrated scoring a stoppage-time goal against Serbia for Switzerland by joining his hands to make a controversial doubleheaded eagle symbol.

The gesture is hugely antagonistic and provocative to Serbs. FIFA fined Shaqiri — along with Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka, who also scored in the game — £7,600 for making a political statement.

There was no question Shaqiri being in Belgrade would have been inflammatory but Liverpool’s manager took the step to leave him on Merseyside as he ‘didn’t want to have a story that wasn’t a football story’.

Yet the implication of those words suggested Liverpool had security fears for Shaqiri at the partisan Rajko Mitic Stadium. Klopp, speaking to the English media yesterday, seized the chance to explain that this was not the case.

It was, he said, a logical process and nothing to do with politics.

‘We were absolutely not aware of any security issues or whatever,’ said Klopp.

‘The only thing I can say was that it was common sense to just make the decision, not to force anything. We come here wanting to play football. If he came here and was involved, all the questions would be about him.

‘I’m surprised the questions in here are about it. Out there with the Serbian guys, I thought all the questions would be about the situation. We have to concentrate on football. We have to focus on football. That is what we want to do. That is why I made that decision.’

Klopp told Shaqiri at Liverpool’s Melwood training base and stated that the 27-year-old understood the reason.

The Liverpool manager then released a statement on the club’s website before the squad departed for Belgrade. Surprisingly, Serbian media did not quiz Klopp about Shaqiri.

The only time he was asked about the subject came when he was in front of the television cameras. And the German answered in such a way that some locals gave him a gentle round of applause.

There is a feeling in Belgrade that Klopp has taken all the heat out of the night. UEFA are closely scrutinising Red Star’s fans after fighting erupted in Paris following a 6-1 defeat in this competition against Paris Saint-Germain last month.

Red Star will face potential part-closures of their stadium if their supporters step out of line again so club officials — who are confident a volatile situation has now been avoided — welcomed Klopp’s choice to keep Shaqiri out of the 21-man party.

‘I constantly have to make decisions that I never expected,’ said Klopp, whose side will take a huge step towards the knockout phase if they win in Belgrade.

‘I was confronted with this and that is the decision. Usually, you don’t think about things like that before a game, but we had to think about it. We need to cool the situation down. We cannot clarify that situation (between Serbia and Albania) and it’s not our job.

‘We are in Serbia. We respect that 100 per cent. That’s the world, how it is. Politics always has an influence on life, on the life I live at least, and that’s how it is. We are not here for politics. We are here to play football. We tried to make sure we can be focused on football.

‘We decided not to bring Shaqiri. He’s our player, he’ll play a lot of games for us but not this one. That’s all.’

Even without the circus surrounding Shaqiri, Liverpool will still face a stern test of their mental capabilities. Red Star held Napoli to a draw here in the opening round of Group C fixtures and are unbeaten at home in more than a year in the Serbian SuperLiga.

‘The only way I know to cool the atmosphere down is to play really good football,’ said Klopp.