Thailand police warn Liverpool supporters not to fall for scammers impersonating Xabi Alonso asking for donations - Reports
Liverpool fans have been warned by Thailand police about a scam surrounding Jurgen Klopp's potential replacement Xabi Alonso. The police have said that a fake verified Instagram account impersonating the Bayer Leverkusen manager has been going around asking for donations.
Liverpool fans have been rocked by Klopp's sudden announcement from last week that he will step down from his position at the end of the season. Replacing the German will be a major ask for the Merseyside giants considering what he has done at the club over the years.
Xabi Alonso, who had a stint as a Liverpool player and won the UEFA Champions League in 2005, has been tipped as the favorite to replace Klopp at Anfield. The former Spain international is doing a phenomenal job as the Bayer Leverkusen manager as they are the only unbeaten side in the top five European leagues.
As Alonso has been widely tipped for the Reds job, Thailand police have warned about an ongoing scam in the Southeast Asian country. Alonso's fake verified Instagram account is asking for donations of 300 baht (€7.85) to help pay for his flight ticket to Liverpool. The message says (via the Daily Mirror):
"I am Xabi Alonso, I will be in charge of Liverpool next season but I am short of money for my flights to Liverpool."
Apart from Xabi Alonso, Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank, Steven Gerrard, Julian Nagelsmann, and Ruben Amorim have all been linked with a switch to Anfield.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp urges media to give his players a break
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged the media to give his players time to deal with his imminent departure. Klopp announced last Friday (January 26) that he will leave the Merseyside club at the end of the season, which has taken even the players by surprise.
Following the news, Virgil van Dijk's statement fueled speculation surrounding his future. The Reds skipper, who has just 18 months left in his contract, said he will wait for the club to sort out the managerial situation before considering a new deal.
Klopp has now insisted that it is only natural for the players to wait to see how the club react to his departure. He also insisted that the club is 'stable' and the media should not create misleading headlines.
“A week ago, nobody knew about my situation. Nobody asked anything. Give the boys a break. It’s normal. Nobody has to worry. I knew this would happen because you can’t wait with these kind of questions. Write what you want. This club is stable,” the German said, as quoted by The Anfield Talk.
Liverpool are having a brilliant season thus far and are fighting for all four trophies. They are leading the Premier League table and face Chelsea and Arsenal this week in quick succession. The Reds have also progressed to the League Cup final, the knockout stages of the Europa League, and the fifth round of the FA Cup.