Liverpool boss Klopp insists he is NO xenophobe after Man City's claim

‘I would HATE myself for being like this’: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists he is NO xenophobe after Manchester City’s claim and says his comments about their investment last week were misunderstood

• Klopp rejected claims his comments before Man City clash were ‘xenophobic’
• City alleged that Klopp’s comments had heightened tensions before the game 
• Liverpool boss hit back at City’s claim and says he stands against xenophobia

Jurgen Klopp has rejected claims that his comments before Liverpool’s defeat of Manchester City were ‘borderline xenophobic’ and insisted he would hate himself if that was the case.

Liverpool have been exploring all legal avenues since Monday after an anonymous briefing from City alleged that Klopp saying his side could not compete with the champions’ spending had heightened tensions before the game.

City doubled down on their stance after the 1-0 loss at Anfield and put out the message that Klopp’s assertion ‘there are three clubs in world football who can do what they like financially’ — believed to be City, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle — was prejudiced.

Jurgen Klopp rejected claims his thoughts before Sunday’s clash were ‘borderline xenophobic’

It was put to Klopp on Tuesday that he has stood against xenophobia all his life and he replied: ‘Definitely. In this specific case, 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 (xenophobic), I would hate it. I would hate myself for being like this.

‘I have said a lot of times things that were a 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 those moments. Absolutely.’

Relations between City and Liverpool are strained but Klopp said he was puzzled how a press conference in which he had praised Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland and other aspects of City’s team had created such a furore.

‘I know what I thought when I said it,’ he added. ‘If someone misunderstands that, or wants to misunderstand that, I cannot change it. Do I have to be careful? I have known for years that I am not always careful. I’ll try to do that in future. 

Klopp said Liverpool could not compete with the spending power of Manchester City, who are owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (centre)

Klopp (left) said he was puzzled how a press conference in which he had praised Pep Guardiola (right), Erling Haaland and other aspects of City’s team had created such a furore

‘Usually it’s never my aim to blame anybody. I just talk about things that I think are not that important in life, actually. I say what I know about it, how I judge it or how I see it.’

City are not the only club at loggerheads with Liverpool, as Eddie Howe on Tuesday took his chance to stand up for Newcastle after Klopp said, ‘There is no ceiling — congratulations!’ about a club who have spent more than £230million over the last two windows. 

‘I’m aware that one or two comments might not have been totally accurate and that’s when I have to stand up for my club,’ Howe said. ‘What Dan Ashworth (Newcastle’s sporting director) meant was there’s no ceiling to our ambition long-term. It’s a difficult one because it’s probably been used in the wrong way (by Klopp).

‘We have huge plans but there is a ceiling: Financial Fair Play. We’re not living the life that is being discussed.

‘The club could have gone a totally different way, I’m sure, with the takeover. But we’ve done it the opposite way. We haven’t splashed the money people maybe thought we would. Our wage bill is controlled.

Eddie Howe has also responded to claims by Klopp about Newcastle United’s financial power

‘Although we have spent money on players, it has not been extravagant or out of synch with the rest of the Premier League. Everyone has to be careful with their comments.’

There is no love lost between Newcastle and Liverpool, whose staff were involved in feisty exchanges on the touchline as the Reds won 2-1 at Anfield in August.

Newcastle were booed by the home crowd that night, as they were during Sunday’s goalless draw at Manchester United, but Howe said: ‘We are not too worried about what other people think about us.’

Merseyside Police have opened an enquiry after Manchester City reported criminal damage to their team bus at Anfield on Sunday.

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