The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Jurgen Klopp

  • Klopp sets for historic  return to  Anfield

    Klopp sets for historic  return to  Anfield

    Jurgen Klopp will be back in the Liverpool dugout in two months’ time as part of the backroom staff of the Reds’ Legends match.

    On March 28, Liverpool Legends take on their Borussia Dortmund counterparts at Anfield in a bid to raise funds for the LFC Foundation and the club’s official former players association, Forever Reds.

    Liverpool icon Sir Kenny Dalglish had already been confirmed as the manager for the hosts and he will now be assisted by Klopp.

    Completing Dalglish’s backroom team will be fellow club greats Ian Rush and John Aldridge.

    A long-time supporter of LFC Foundation, Klopp has consistently praised the impact of the charity. He has highlighted its ‘incredible work’ delivered both locally and globally.

    Klopp left his role as Liverpool manager 18 months ago after almost nine years at the helm – winning seven honours along the way.

    Read Also; FULL LIST: Clubs with direct qualifications for Champions League Round of 16

    He won the Champions League in 2019 before leading Liverpool to their first league title in 30 years in 2019-20.

    The German went on to become the only Liverpool manager to win the league title, European Cup/Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup with the Reds.

    This fixture will be particular poignant for the 58-year-old due to his history with Dortmund too – his previous club before taking the reins at Liverpool.

    During his seven years at the helm, he led the German giants to two Bundesliga titles, one German Cup and two German Super Cups – and finished runners-up in the 2012-13 Champions League final.

  • Disgraced referee Coote charged over Klopp remarks

    Disgraced referee Coote charged over Klopp remarks

    Disgraced former Premier League referee David Coote has been charged by the Football Association over disparaging comments he made about ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

    Coote, 42, was sacked in December by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) after a video circulated on social media the previous month of him making derogatory remarks about Klopp and Liverpool in 2020.

    One of those remarks referenced Klopp’s German nationality, and the FA said that constituted an alleged “aggravated breach” under its rules.

    Read Also: ‘New boy’ Agu targets  AFCON title, WC ticket with Super Eagles

    The FA said Coote would face no further action in regard to separate allegations of gambling misconduct, which he had strenuously denied. The FA said those allegations had been fully investigated.

    A video showing Coote snorting white powder, reportedly during Euro 2024, emerged in November. Earlier this year European football’s governing body UEFA banned Coote from any officiating activity until June 2026.

    In a January interview Coote came out as gay and said his struggle to hide his sexuality had contributed to bad choices.

    He said he was “truly sorry for any offence caused”.

  • Keeper’s error helps Liverpool stay perfect

    Liverpool continued its perfect start to the Premier League season by beating Sheffield United 1-0 on Saturday, earning its seventh consecutive win despite being outplayed for much of the match by the newly promoted side.

    Had it not been for a mistake by Blades goalkeeper Dean Henderson with just over 20 minutes remaining — on the Reds’ first very shot on target — Liverpool would’ve dropped its first points of 2019-20.

    Instead, Georginio Wijnaldum was credited with the decisive strike after Henderson let the Dutch midfielder’s powerful drive slip underneath his torso and bounce over the line:

    Liverpool’s latest victory sent last season’s runner-up eight points clear of defending champion Manchester City atop the Premier League table.

    Read Also: EPL: Liverpool beat Chelsea to maintain perfect start

    Sheffield United was fortunate when the visitors misfired on a pair of first-half opportunities. But they had the better of Jurgen Klopp’s side for most of the second half of the contest. The hosts could have even taken the lead, but Reds captain Jordan Henderson blocked a goal-bound attempt with his body.

    Afterward, Klopp didn’t necessarily agree that his team was lucky to escape with three points. But he admitted that getting them was crucial.

    “For us, it was important to win,” Klopp said. “When you win a lot of games, they are not all beauties. That’s how it is. We had work really hard, and the boys did. We could’ve done better but you have to respect the opponent. They defend in a way that is really difficult.”

  • The Best FIFA Awards: Klopp wins Men’s coach of the year

    Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on Monday night won the men’s coach of the year at the Best FIFA Football Awards in Milan.

    Klopp  was one of three Premier League bosses to be nominated for the award, alongside Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino.

    Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotsports in the UEFA Champions League final in June and came second in the Premier League in 2018/2019.

    The Reds have also won all six league matches at the start of 2019/2020.

    “It is great, nobody expected this 20, 10, five, four years ago that I would be standing here,” Klopp said upon receiving his award.

    Read Also: Klopp relieved to end Cup finals losing streak

    “We know what an incredible job you Mauricio Pochettino did and what Pep did. I have to say thank you to my outstanding club Liverpool FC.

    “To the owners thank you, they gave me an incredible team. I have to thank my team – as a coach you can only be as good as your team is. I’m really proud of being manager of such an incredible bunch of players.

    “This is an individual prize, I don’t 100% understand individual prizes, I’m here for a lot of people.”

    BBCSports

  • EPL: Liverpool beat Chelsea to maintain perfect start

    Liverpool retained their five-point lead at the top of the table as they became the first team to win their opening six Premier League games in successive seasons with a fiercely-fought victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

    Jurgen Klopp’s title pace-setters looked on course to win in comfort as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s magnificent free-kick and Roberto Firmino’s header gave them complete control at the interval.

    Chelsea, who had been denied an equalizer when Cesar Azpilicueta’s close-range effort was ruled out for offside by VAR, were in no mood to capitulate and made Liverpool fight every inch of the way to maintain that perfect record.

    Read Also: Free-scoring Liverpool make Premier League history

    Tammy Abraham had chances to increase his tally of seven goals this season, particularly when he was denied by Liverpool keeper Adrian when clean through in the first half, but it was left to N’Golo Kante to set up a grandstand finish with a superb strike with 19 minutes to play.

    Liverpool, however, held on, surviving missed chances from Michy Batshuayi and Mason Mount, to produce an instant response to Manchester City’s 8-0 win over Watford on Saturday.

    BBCSports

  • Firmino unlikely to face Barca, says Klopp

    Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Roberto Firmino is unlikely to be fit for the Champions League semi-final, second leg clash at home to Barcelona on Tuesday.

    Firmino has been struggling with a groin problem and was only able to feature as a substitute as Liverpool were beaten 3-0 in the Nou Camp in the first leg.

    The Brazil international wasn’t included in Liverpool’s matchday squad for Saturday’s Premier League game away to Newcastle, and Klopp expressed concern regarding the situation.

    Klopp told Sky Sports: ‘Bobby didn’t start at Barcelona, he had problems, he has still problems, he’s not even in the squad, he’s just not available. That’s just how it is. So we have to accept it, and that’s why It’s easy to leave him out because the medical department said no chance.

    ‘It doesn’t look really good to be honest. It’s the situation, we all thought it would be quicker, especially he thought it would be quicker, but it doesn’t work out so we have to wait. Midweek is not really likely.’

    Firmino has been hugely important for Liverpool this campaign – he has scored 16 goals and provided eight assists across all competitions.

    Klopp elected to start midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum as a false nine against Barcelona, while Daniel Sturridge started up front against Newcastle.

  • Guinea’s Keita to miss AFCON 2019

    Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita will miss the rest of the season and the Africa Cup of Nations after being ruled out for two months with a groin injury, Jurgen Klopp said on Friday.

    The Guinea international had to be substituted during the first half of Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Barcelona on Wednesday after going down following a challenge from Ivan Rakitic.

    Keita, whose debut season at Anfield has been disrupted by injuries, was beginning to find form and had scored three goals in his previous five appearances for Liverpool.

    “It’s bad news,” Klopp said at a news conference. “It’s a high grade abductor injury. The tendon is ruptured which keeps him out for at least I would say two months. So bad news for us, but bad news for Guinea as well because the African Cup of Nations are coming up.

    “He was in a really good moment, a really good moment but it happened. Football and life are sometimes not too nice, but yeah very serious.”

    Keita, 24, has made 35 international appearances for Guinea and was a key part of the team that qualified for the biennial tournament for the first time since 2015. The tournament, held this year in Egypt, gets underway June 21, with Guinea drawn alongside Nigeria, Madagascar and Burundi in Group B.

    Liverpool travel to Newcastle United on Saturday and will return to the top of the Premier League with a win at St. James’ Park. The title remains in Manchester City’s hands, however, and Pep Guardiola’s side will win the league if they win their final two games — at home to Leicester on Monday and away to Brighton on the final day.

    Read Also: Keita, Firmino give Liverpool 2-0 win over FC Porto

    Defeat in Barcelona also left Liverpool’s Champions League aspirations hanging by a thread, with the Reds needing a big comeback at Anfield next week to turn the tie around.

    Asked about how his side were dealing with the blow of losing heavily to Barcelona, Klopp said: “We didn’t need to pick players up in Barcelona and give them a hug. It’s in us. If you want to win in football you have to accept that you can lose. I had more positive thoughts about the game than negative because of what we did on the pitch.

    “The boys are completely on fire. When you’re in the race, you don’t get tired. We are ambitious like hell. All we can do is beat Newcastle and that’s unbelievably difficult, what other teams do on Monday night isn’t our problem.”

    ESPN

     

  • Anfield is my worst stadium – Robben

    Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben has described Anfield as his “worst stadium” as he prepares for a return to face Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League last 16 clash on Tuesday.

    Dutchman Robben has some unhappy memories at the home of Liverpool, having suffered elimination from the European competition twice with Chelsea in 2005 and 2007, and with Real Madrid in 2009.

    “I think, if you ask (about) the worst stadium for me, it’s probably Liverpool,” the 35-year-old said.

    “You always have your favourite opponent and there always has to be a negative one.”

    Robben, who is battling to overcome a thigh injury ahead of the fixture, said he remembers Liverpool as a “Cup fighter team”.

    But he also pointed out that during his time at Chelsea, Liverpool were never seen as one of the contenders for the English Premier League (EPL) title.

    That has changed this season as Jurgen Klopp’s side are level on points with league leaders and defending champions Manchester City with a game in hand.

    “In one or two games they could really live up to it and perform; just not the whole season, which was maybe too much,” Robben added.

    “Now I think it changed and they developed really well. The manager has done a great job.

    “Last year they were in the UEFA Champions League final and at the moment they are top (of the Premier League). It’s a long, long time ago that they won the league and that’s the one they’re dreaming of.”

     

  • Klopp blames snow for failure to beat Leicester

    Liverpool Manager, Jurgen Klopp believes that the falling snow on the Anfield pitch was the principal reason why Liverpool failed to beat Leicester City, missing out the opportunity of opening a seven-point gap over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

    Sadio Mane had given Liverpool a third-minute lead but they were unable to beat Leicester, eventually drawing 1-1, with their passing game affected by the conditions.

    “You saw that the ball didn’t roll really,” Klopp told ESPN. “If you then have the ball pretty much for 70 to 80 percent of the time it makes life really uncomfortable.

    Read Also: Klopp defends Salah, says Firmino fit to face Chelsea

    “The only problem is if it stays on the pitch and that was actually the case.”.

    Klopp also complained that Liverpool were denied a penalty in the second half after Naby Keita was fouled in the penalty area by Ricardo Pereira, only for referee Martin Atkinson to wave away the protests.

    “I don’t know what he [Atkinson] thought in that moment,” Klopp said. “I think he had the best position.

    “Usually I have to explain penalties which were penalties, and you ask me if it was a soft penalty. A penalty is a penalty.

    “There was no blood involved again today, but it’s a penalty because one of our players is in the box. It is like it is. It won’t change. Nothing to worry about, keep on going.”

  • UPDATED: Salah is 2018 best African footballer

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    Egyptian forward, Mohamed Salah has won the 2018 African Player of the Year award, beating Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Senegal’s Sadio Mane to the prize.

    This is his second award, having won the last edition.

    He has become the fourth player after El Hadji Diouf, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure to win the award back to back.

    The Liverpool forward, who scored two goals in the 2018 FIFA World Cup,  helped Jurgen Klopp’s men end as runners-up in the UEFA Champions League, scoring 44 goals across all competitions in the process.

    Read Also: …Salah, Mane, Aubameyang compete

    Receiving the award from Geroge Weah, President of Liberia and former World footballer of the year, Salah said: “As a child l have always dreamt of a day like this and l am happy that it has come to pass.”

    Other awards saw the Super Falcons of Nigeria win the female national team of the year, after clinching the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations title in South Africa and Morocco’s Herve Renard win the men’s coach of the year.

    South Africa striker, Chrestinah Kgatlana dethroned Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala to win the Women player of the year award. She scored six goals in the Women’s Nations Cup for THE Bayana Bayana.