Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp ‘to take legal action’ following Man City ‘xenophobe’ claims | Football | Sport
Jurgen Klopp is reportedly ready to sue over accusations of xenophobia in the build-up to last Sunday’s Premier League clash against Manchester City. The Liverpool manager made the headlines with comments about Man City and two other clubs’ ownership, but he has since argued he was ‘misunderstood’.
Ahead of the Reds’ memorable 1-0 win at Anfield, Klopp lamented that ‘nobody could compete with Man City’. He added that the Blues, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United – all state-funded clubs – can ‘do what they want financially’.
Klopp said: “What does Liverpool do? We cannot act like them. It is not possible. Not possible. It is just clear, and again, you know the answer. There are three clubs in world football [Man City, PSG and Newcastle] who can do what they want financially. It’s legal and everything, fine, but they can do what they want.”
In the aftermath, reports alleged Man City figures had accused him of xenophobia through his pre-match remarks. However, according to The Telegraph, Klopp is now taking legal action over the claims and used his press conference on Tuesday to respond.
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“I don’t feel, in this specific case, I don’t feel [I was xenophobic] at all,” Klopp told reporters. “I know myself. And you cannot hit with something which is miles away from my personality. If I was – I cannot remember the word, wow! – like this, I would hate it. I would hate myself for being like this.
“I have said a lot of times things that were a little bit open for misunderstanding. I know that. It was not intentional, just sometimes you say things, and you think, ‘Oh my God! It can be interpreted like this?’ But this is not one of these moments. Absolutely.”
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Alongside his legal action, Klopp has stood by his comments, claiming his intended message was misunderstood by the media and people at Man City. But the German coach did admit he wasn’t careful when making the remarks, not considering the storm that was to follow.
He continued: “Those https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1684747/Liverpool-news-Jurgen-Klopp-Man-City-xenophobe-claims-Premier-League-latest#comments didn’t arrive, obviously. That is the life of people who speak in public. It is not the first time that I have been misunderstood. I know what I thought when I said it. If someone misunderstands or wants to misunderstand, I cannot change that. I know I have to be careful, and I know I am not always careful.”
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