Klopp slapped down as he backs jeering fans
DOWNING Street slapped down Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp yesterday after he said his club’s fans would not have booed the national anthem and jeered at Prince William at the FA Cup Final without a reason.
Prince William, the president of the Football Association, was jeered as he stood for God Save The Queen before Saturday’s match at Wembley Stadium.
Asked in a briefing if Liverpool fans had a reason for their behaviour, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman replied: ‘No.’
The spokesman added that it was a ‘great shame’ given that the FA Cup was meant to ‘bring people together’. Mr Klopp had appeared to defend the Liverpool FC supporters yesterday. He said: ‘I think in these situations it’s best to ask the question: Why does it happen?
‘They wouldn’t do if there was no reason. I’ve not been here long enough to understand the reason for it – it’s for sure something historical – and that’s probably questions you can answer much better than I could ever. The majority of our supporters are wonderful people. Really smart, go through lows and highs.’
The jeers started during a rendition of the hymn Abide With Me by the 60-strong B Positive Choir, whose members have sickle cell disease or who have close friends or family suffering from it.
They erupted again as William was introduced to the crowd and began shaking the hands of the players. The booing reached its peak during the national anthem.
Some fans made obscene hand gestures while the Duke of Cambridge stood singing along to singer-songwriter Raye’s rendition of God Save The Queen.
The outburst was denounced across the political spectrum but when contacted by the Daily Mail at the weekend, none of Liverpool’s five Labour MPs made any comment about it.