Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp rejects xenophobia accusations after comments about PSG, Man City and Newcastle
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has rejected "xenophobic" suggestions about his recent comments on the financial powers of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Manchester City and Newcastle United.
Ahead of Liverpool's 1-0 home win over Manchester City on October 16, Klopp discussed his club's chances of competing with their opponents. He indicated that the Reds are nowhere close to Manchester City, PSG and Newcastle in the transfer market. He said (via Mirror):
"There are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially. It's legal and everything, fine, but they can do what they want. They will say 'yeah but we have...' but it's exactly the fact."
Jurgen Klopp calls out football's unfairness 💰 https://t.co/lr2Yr0dzp3
In the aftermath of the Premier League contest between last season's title contenders, Klopp's comments were labeled "borderline xenophobic" by anonymous reports, as per The Guardian.
During a pre-match press conference, Klopp was asked about the recent accusations aimed at him. He replied to reporters (via Mirror):
"I don't feel it at all. I know myself. And you cannot hit [me] with something which is miles away from my personality. If I was – I cannot remember the word [xenophobic] – 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."
He asserted that his intentions were misinterpreted. He added:
"It was not intentionally, 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.
"Not all of you journalists see things the same way, like your chief writers. Some see it differently. It's the whole world, obviously. You can have different views. That’s how it is."
Clarifying his own personal stance, he concluded:
"It is not the first time I am misunderstood. I know what I thought when I said it. If someone misunderstands that, or wants to misunderstand that, I cannot change that.
"I just answer and say what I think. I try to do that in the future as well because usually it is never my aim to blame anybody."
"I don't think anyone wants to be best friends with us" 🤨
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool don't have be best friends with other clubs and defends comments he made about the spending of state-funded teams.
https://t.co/pD2VZSS91s
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp shares insight into Diogo Jota's calf injury
Speaking ahead of Liverpool's upcoming Premier League match, Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Diogo Jota has been ruled out for months with a calf injury. He told reporters (via Liverpool FC):
"It's a pretty serious injury in the calf muscle, and now the recovery process starts. It is very sad news for the boy, and for us as well of course and for Portugal. He will not be in for a long time; we talk about months."
Jota, 25, had to be stretchered off during stoppage time of Sunday's clash against Manchester City. He is now set to miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scheduled to start on November 20.