Jurgen Klopp will come up against a familiar face after the referee for Liverpool's Champions League opener at Napoli was confirmed.
Spanish official Carlos del Cerro Grande will officiate the Group A clash at the Stadio Diego Armanda Maradona on Wednesday.
Coincidentally, Del Cerro Grande was the man in the middle when the teams last crossed swords in the group stage meeting at Anfield in November 2019 that ended 1-1.
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The referee incensed Liverpool on the evening with a number of decisions throughout the game, including allowing the opening goal for the visitors from Dries Mertens despite what appeared a foul on Virgil van Dijk during the build-up.
And Klopp. who was celebrating his 100th European match as a manager, was later awarded a yellow card having grown frustrated at the referee not allowing the game to flow.
"I said (to Del Cerro Grande) 'Don’t do that'," explained the Reds boss after the game. "He stopped the game twice and made a big fuss. There was an opportunity for both teams to have a quick restart but twice he (intervened) and had things to say (to the players).
"So I said 'Why did you do that? Please don’t do that' and then I got it."
Van Dijk was also unimpressed Napoli's goal wasn't chalked off. “He touched me, I think it is a foul," he said. "The referee, I think, didn’t have his best day today. That’s what it is.”
Del Cerro Grande has only officiated one other Liverpool game, with the Reds beaten 2-0 by Atalanta at an empty Anfield in the group stage in 2020/21.
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