Klopp almost turned off TV before Liverpool’s ‘Miracle of Istanbul’
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he almost switched off at half-time of the club’s famous Champions League final comeback against AC Milan in 2005.
The German is grateful he chose to stick with the game withtheReds3-0downafter45 minutes as he was able to witness“oneofthebiggestfootball sensations ever”.
While tonight’s visit of the Italian club – their first to Anfield–isnotofthesamestature
itkicksoffaChampionsLeague group which also contains Atletico Madrid, who knocked out Liverpool two seasons ago, and Porto.
It is only the third meeting of the two sides, the only previous times being finals two years apart, so it does feel like a special occasion, particularly with fans back inside the ground, and stirs up memories of that fateful encounter 16 years ago.
“At that time I was neither an AC Milan or Liverpool supporter watching the Champions League final and after 3-0, with all the things said before about Milan being the favourites,itlookedlikethegamewas decided,” said Klopp.
“I was thinking about not watching the second half because everyone in the world apart from the few people in the Liverpool dressing room thought this game might be decided.
“And then it became one of the biggest football sensations everandIwasreallyhappythat Ididn’tswitchthetellyoffandI watched the whole game.”
The quality of opposition Liverpool face over the next three months has added some much-needed lustre to the ChampionsLeaguegroupstages, which are often something of a procession.
Numerous uncompetitive or uninteresting matches convinced UEFA there needed to besignificantchangetotheformat but Klopp disagrees.
“Thisisthestrongestgroup we’vehadsinceI’vebeenatLiverpool. In 2013 when I was at Dortmund, I had the Champions League group of Man City, Real Madrid and Ajax – all champions and us, a proper group,” he added.
“It keeps out two really good teams from the knockout stages and will deliver one really strong team to the Europa League. I never understand when people talk about changes in the Champions League, it is just not my thing. I like it how it is.”
Liverpool will be missing forwardRobertoFirmino,with a hamstring injury, and midfielder Harvey Elliott, who has undergone surgery on his ankle dislocation.