Liverpool’s Klopp is rooting for Iceland to shine

Like most Germans, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp admits to being a big fan of Iceland as the minnows attempt to shock giants Argentina in their World Cup debut tomorrow. The Icelanders captured the imagination at Euro 2016 in France, knocking out England in the last-16 before bowing out to hosts France in the quarterfinals. Iceland open their Russia 2018 campaign against Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Moscow – and Klopp will be cheering them on when they take to the field. “I was skiing in Iceland last summer. It was one of my best experiences of my life,” said Liverpool’s German manager of his allegiance to the country. But how many people live there, 300,000? That’s incredible. It’s like the origin of football, like the origin of everything, that you do not need a lot of people, just the right ones, to make a big difference. They have achieved so much in football.” Klopp is not the only German who will be supporting Iceland in Russia. According to a recent poll in Germany, 76.8 per cent want to support the Icelanders at the World Cup – providing they do not meet their side in the knockout stages.