Jurgen Klopp has issued a strong response to the recent spate of vile chants about the Hillsborough disaster from opposition fans at Liverpool matches.
High profile fixtures against Manchester City and Manchester United this month have been marred by pockets of supporters singing songs in connection to the 1989 disaster that slur Liverpool supporters. A minute's reflection for the 97 victims was also disrupted by a number of City followers at the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, with referee Michael Oliver having to cut the silence short and Pep Guardiola later apologising to Liverpool for the incident.
Writing in Liverpool's matchday programme, ahead of Sunday's Merseyside derby against Everton, Klopp said: "As ever, but especially at this time of year, the Hillsborough families and survivors are in the thoughts of everyone at Liverpool FC and I want you to know that you have our total support, which should be a cause for concern for any right-minded, compassionate person, regardless of which team they are associated with.
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"Throughout my career as a player and a manager, I have always tried to be as positive as I possibly can be about football supporters. Not for PR or for selfish reasons; it is because, more than anything else, I am a football supporter myself and because I know the unbelievable difference that fans make to a sport that I absolutely love.
"I never expected perfection but I always believe that in general supporters will be a force for good because that is almost always what they are. Which is why I am unbelievably disappointed that of late we have heard more and more songs being sung about the Hillsborough disaster. Really? The deaths of 97 people in a tragedy is now something that can be mocked? How did this happen?
"We have staff at the club who lost loved ones at Hillsborough. There are supporters in the crowd at all of our games who lost friends or family members themselves or who survived the tragedy. They have already suffered more than enough. No-one should think it is okay to make them suffer more because it absolutely is not.
"So I will say this very clearly: If you are going to a football match to sing about people losing their lives you really should not bother coming. Football does not want this and football does not need this."
97 Liverpool supporters lost their lives as a consequence of the FA cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough, Sheffield, on April 15, 1989. Earlier this month was the 33rd anniversary of the disaster. Inquests that concluded in 2016 found that all victims who died in the tragedy were unlawfully killed.
