"Why we have to discuss that?" - Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp delivers his verdict on Alexis Sanchez' red card decision
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has commented on the red card incident involving Alexis Sanchez during the Reds' UEFA Champions League clash with Inter Milan yesterday.
The Chilean was sent off in the 63rd minute after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Fabinho.
Klopp insisted the referee made the right call and told reporters after the game:
"I don’t understand why we have to discuss that? In football, if you play football, if can win the ball only - if you bring yourself in a position where you can danger the opponent - then you don’t win the ball. That’s it."
Alexis Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card against Liverpool, but risked a straight red earlier in the Champions League game for Inter. Were both decisions correct? football-italia.net/video-were-bot… #FCIM #LFC #LiverpoolInter #LIVINT #UCL
"If Fab goes in with the same intention with a long leg then both players get injured. But Fab is there because he judged the ball. If he is not flying in then I will get it."
"But because he is flying in, it’s possible he touched the ball but cannot stop and hit Fab in a really bad way, to be honest."
Sanchez picked up his first yellow card of the game just before the end of the first half after fouling Thiago Alcantara.
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Best = 9/10RATINGS: Every player marked out of 10 as Inter end Liverpool's unbeaten run at Anfield:
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Klopp believes the attacker was quite lucky not to have picked up a straight red card from that instance. The Liverpool manager continued:
"I think he was quite lucky he didn’t get a different colour in the first half for a foul on Thiago with the leg that high against the knee, a similar situation. Passion is good, absolutely good, but if it leads to these things, it doesn’t help."
Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool progress into Champions League quarter-finals
Although Liverpool lost to Inter Milan 1-0 yesterday, they still managed to edge past the Italians, courtesy of their 2-0 victory from the first leg at Anfield.
As it stands, the Reds are the second team to seal their qualification into the Champions League quarter-finals this season. Bayern Munich were the first team to secure a last-eight berth, courtesy of an 8-2 aggregate win over RB Salzburg.
Klopp's men will know who their new opponents are when the quarter-final draw is held later this month. In the meantime, they'll return to Premier League action, with a clash with Brighton scheduled for this Saturday.