Klopp apologises for remarks on Real Madrid's training ground arena

‘I didn’t want to be disrespectful’: Jurgen Klopp APOLOGISES to Real Madrid for blaming Liverpool’s first-leg defeat on their tiny 6,000-capacity training ground arena while claiming ‘Anfield is a proper stadium’

  • Jurgen Klopp has apologised for his remarks on the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano 
  • The Liverpool boss caused a stir after criticising Real Madrid’s training stadium
  • Zinedine Zidane hit back at Klopp, saying Real were ‘proud’ to play at the arena
  • Real beat Reds in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Madrid
  • The two clubs will play for a place in the semi-finals at Anfield on Wednesday 

Jurgen Klopp has apologised for his comments on Real Madrid’s 6,000 capacity training stadium, after he claimed it was ‘strange’ and a ‘difficult’ place to play a Champions League quarter-final match.

Madrid have played throughout the pandemic at their Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium in Valdebebas due to development work being carried out on the famous Santiago Bernabeu, yet Klopp still took exception following the match.

Following the 3-1 defeat Klopp also noted that Liverpool will at least be staging the second leg inside a ‘proper stadium,’ which Real boss Zinedine Zidane took exception to, claiming the club were ‘proud’ to play at the arena. 

Jurgen Klopp has apologised for his comments on Real Madrid’s tiny training ground arena

Klopp caused a stir after criticising Real’s training ground stadium after Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat

Klopp has since faced widespread backlash in Spain for his comments but ahead of the two club’s second leg at Anfield on Wednesday, he looked to play down the saga by apologising to anyone who felt ‘disrespected’ by his remarks.

‘People have made so much noise about that thing,’ Klopp told RMC Sport. ‘I didn’t want to be disrespectful.

‘If they think that [Di Stefano] is the stadium they want to play at, that’s completely fine for me.

Zidane defended Madrid’s Valdebebas ground and insisted his men are proud to play there

‘They play there the whole season. I know the situation and that they are renovating [the Santiago Bernabeu] or I don’t know what exactly they do.

‘That’s all fine. But making a story out of what I said is a real joke to be honest. If somebody thought I was disrespectful, I am sorry. That was not my intention.’ 

Zidane wasn’t the only Real Madrid legend to respond to Klopp’s training ground comments.

Real legend Jorge Valdano stressed that the club don’t play their games at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano to gain an advantage and would have preferred to have played their home games inside the Bernabeu – even without fans.

‘What you have to consider is that Real Madrid don’t play at Valdebebas to gain a competitive advantage,’ Valdano said.

‘An empty [Estadio Santiago] Bernabeu is still imposing and affects opponents negatively. Therefore, Madrid actually lose out on a sporting advantage by playing there.

‘Anfield is at least a proper stadium and it will be good for us,’ Klopp said of the return leg

‘What [Ronald] Koeman said is also true: Madrid have taken advantage of the situation to create a 21st century stadium, and when it’s ready the stadium that’ll look like a training ground is Anfield if we’re comparing [the two].’ 

Liverpool were easily beaten in the first leg last week, with a brace from Vinicius Junior and another from Marco Asensio after a horror Trent Alexander-Arnold blunder putting Zinedine Zidane’s side in control of the tie.

However the Reds struck a crucial away goal via Mohamed Salah in the second half, which will see them progress to the semi-finals if they win 2-0 on Wednesday. 




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