Klopp’s pop at Pep over Mane claim
JURGEN KLOPP took a swipe yesterday at Manchester City’s tactical fouling as he hit back at Pep Guardiola’s claim that Sadio Mane is a diver.
The German poured ‘oil on the fire’ after Guardiola said of Liverpool forward Mane on Saturday: ‘Sometimes he is diving, sometimes he has this incredible ability to score goals in the last minute,’ when he was asked about the title race.
Klopp did not want to become embroiled in a spat six days before the rivals meet at Anfield, but he felt he was left with no choice. ‘I couldn’t really believe it,’ said the Anfield boss. ‘I am not sure if Pep spoke in that moment about Sadio or the team — both is not too nice. I am not too sure if I want to put oil on the fire.
‘I am not interested in these kind of things. And I promise not to mention tactical fouls. That is maybe already too much — but that is the only thing I’ll say about it.’
Not quite. Klopp, whose side look to move a step closer to the Champions League knockout stages by beating Genk tonight, was asked about Guardiola, on and off camera, given the incendiary nature of the City manager’s comments about Mane. The Senegal forward won penalties against Leicester and
Tottenham last month. Both spot-kicks were converted to give Liverpool crucial victories. Mane was booked for simulation at Villa on Saturday, although replays showed right-back Frederic Guilbert had made contact with the Liverpool forward from behind.
What interested Klopp most about Guardiola’s comments, however, was the timing. City’s manager spoke to the BBC within 30 minutes of his side beating Southampton, and the German was bewildered as to how Guardiola could voice an opinion so soon on what had happened at Villa Park.
‘I do not know how he could have known about the incident so quickly after the game,’ said Klopp.
‘Sadio is not a diver. Yes, there was a situation in the Aston Villa game where he felt contact and went down. Maybe it was not a penalty, but there was contact.
‘It’s not like he jumped over a leg or something. All the other penalties were penalties because he was there.
‘If something like that had happened for Manchester City, I’m sure they would have wanted a penalty, too.’
Guardiola’s slur has been noted in the Liverpool dressing room. Alisson, the club’s goalkeeper, faced the press yesterday at Anfield and he smiled wryly when asked about Mane.
‘We think Sadio is a top player,’ said the Brazil No 1. ‘We know him and his capacity and he is a top player and really, really important for our team. He showed this in the last game with an assist and scoring a goal. I agree (with Guardiola), he is a top player.’
This episode is more evidence of the growing enmity between Klopp and Guardiola. Klopp — who will make a number of team changes for Genk’s visit tonight — is conscious of not wanting to stoke things up before City arrive on Sunday, but he suggested there is a fixation in Manchester about what league leaders Liverpool are doing.
‘Do I get asked as much about Man City? I don’t know,’ said Klopp.
‘When I came into the interview after the Aston Villa game, I had no clue what the other Premier League results were. That is the truth. It was 45 minutes after the game when I heard the results of the other matches.
‘I didn’t ask anybody. I had to speak to the players, I had to speak to a lot of people and then I went into interviews. I didn’t think for one second about the other games.
‘Then, after the interviews: “By the way, how did the other teams play?”.
‘Someone told me City had won in the 86th minute and all this happened. I don’t understand these types of things. My brain is not big enough to think about another team as well.
‘I have enough to do to think about us and deal with all these things.
‘We play Genk and that deserves all my attention — and gets it. That is the only way I can do it.
‘After that, we can speak about Manchester City... we have to! We will internally speak a lot about them, then we will prepare the game. Before then, not at all.’