LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp has raged at Leeds United’s protest against the European Super League – which he didn’t know of until last Sunday.
The Reds announced that they have signed up to be part of the breakaway 15-team league – which Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are also set to feature in – on Sunday night.
The proposal has sparked mass outrage and Leeds’ players wore T-shirts condemning the plans ahead of their Elland Road clash with the Merseysiders.
During their warm-up, Marcelo’s Bielsa’s men donned shirts that read on the front: “Champions League EARN IT.”
‘Football is for the fans’ was emblazoned on the back of the shirt.
And Klopp was quick to lambast the protest after getting a glimpse of the Whites’ pre-match attire.
In his pre-match interview, the German told Sky Sports: “I heard there are warm-up shirts, we will not wear them, because we cannot.
“But if somebody thinks they have to remind us to ‘earn it’ to go to the Champions League, that’s a real joke and it makes me angry.
“If it was a Leeds idea, thank you very much, nobody has to remind us.”
Leeds’ social media team also took a jibe at the current Premier League champions by branding them the ‘Merseyside Reds’ shortly after kick-off.
They tweeted: “We’re underway against the Merseyside Reds at Elland Road!”
News of the ESL was dropped on footy fans late on Sunday night.
Klopp, who in 2019 revealed he’s firmly against the concept, was in dark over the club’s plans and found out the same time as Reds supporters.
He said: “My opinion hasn’t changed.
“I heard about it for the first time yesterday while we were trying to prepare for a very difficult game against Leeds United.
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“We got some information but not a lot to be honest.
“It’s a tough one, people are not happy with it and I understand that but I can’t say a lot more because we were not involved in any processes – not the players, not me, we didn’t know about it.”
Despite having a short meeting with the Liverpool brass earlier today, Klopp is still unsure of the club’s future.
He said: “I don’t have all the information. I don’t know why the 12 clubs did this.
“I don’t like that we might not be in the Champions League but if we earn it we want to be there.
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“Yesterday we didn’t really know and this morning we had a short meeting and I told the boys what I know, which is not a lot.”
Furious Reds fans staged a protest outside Anfield on Monday to voice their discontent at the club’s decision to sign up for the elite competition.
Klopp understands the Anfield faithful’s fury, saying: “The most important part of football is the supporters and the team.
“We have to make sure that nothing gets in between that.
“I heard we put banners at Anfield and I don’t understand that because the players didn’t do anything wrong.
“We have to stick together and when other people from other clubs use our anthem against us I don’t like that as well.
“There are things we have to sort but they have nothing to do with the team.
“In tough times you have to stick together, that doesn’t mean you have to agree to everything.
“But the boys didn’t do anything wrong other than not try to win every football game.”
Liverpool captain James Milner added after the game: “My personal opinion, I don’t like it and hopefully it doesn’t happen.”
Asked why he was against it, Milner responded: “Probably for the same reasons as everybody else who has been talking out over the last day.
“Obviously it’s been difficult for us, we’ve tried to prepare for the game but I can only imagine what’s been said about it and probably agree with most of it.”
Liverpool’s decision to sign up for the European Super League has sparked fresh speculation over Klopp’s future at Anfield.
And Kop legend Jamie Carragher has warned the Reds hierarchy they’ll be run out of the club if the beloved manager decides to walk away.
He told Sky Sports: “Jurgen Klopp has spoken on this in 2019 and made his stance very clear.
“If Liverpool moves their manager on the back of this, in the next 12 months or so, those owners will be run out of that club in a week, I can assure you of that.
“The owners of Liverpool, and it hurts me more because it’s Liverpool and that’s why I’m touching on them, this ownership bought the club on the back of other American owners running the club badly and the fans got them out.
“They got the club for a steal and it’s now worth six or seven times more, they’ve made their money, they’ve won the lottery with Liverpool.
“My message to everyone is I think these clubs think this is a done deal, it’s done.
“I don’t think it is, I think supporters up and down this country can stop this – I really do believe this and I think at the forefront of that will be Liverpool because I’ve seen it before. “
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
