Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will reportedly take legal action having been accused of xenophobia against Manchester City’s owners.
Klopp made comments on Friday about the relative spending power of his side compared with rival clubs and later insisted that he had been “misunderstood”.
The Reds boss was accused of lighting the touch paper ahead of the high-octane 1-0 win over City on Sunday which saw him shown a red card, coins thrown at Pep Guardiola, the City bus damaged and City fans engaging in chants about the Hillsborough disaster.
Asked specifically about reports alleging City believed his pre-match comments to be ‘borderline xenophobic’, Klopp said on Tuesday: “I don’t feel it at all. 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.”
There is now a tense relationship between the two clubs and their fans but Klopp doesn’t think it necessary to smooth things over before their next meeting.
“I am not sure we have to be best friends with other clubs,” said Klopp. “I don’t think anybody wants to be best friends with us. It is a completely normal competition.
“It started here (in Friday’s press conference) with a question and I answered it and all the rest was made of it. I know what I thought when I said it and I thought I put it in perspective and said how much I respect what they (City) are doing.
“Obviously, it was still not right for some. As a club and a team with our supporters we showed an incredible performance. And then if something happens and one fan throws a coin it is a massive mistake and it will get punished, definitely.”
Despite Klopp’s willingness to put much of the tension behind him, the Irish Independent claim he is looking to ‘take legal action’ over the xenophobia claims.
Given this and everything that happened on Sunday, perhaps Klopp should feel a need to smooth things over to avoid tensions building to the clubs’ next meeting, when something really bad could happen.
Does he not have a duty of care?
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