Jurgen Klopp has insisted Liverpool fans don’t need “any kind of advice on showing respect”.
Reds supporters have been subjected to some serious abuse over the weekend, with rival fans taking to social media to suggest THEY were to blame for the surprising FA decision to postpone ALL football following the death of the Queen.
That included matches even at kids level, but that didn’t stop Liverpool ’s followers being singled out, with the suggestion they would have booed the national anthem when asked to pay respects to the monarchy. But Klopp dismissed the notion that his club’s supporters need any lectures on how to behave, and instead argued that the Kop has frequently shown the right level of respect on important occasions.
There is likely to be a minute’s silence during Tuesday Champions League tie with Ajax at Anfield to mark the passing of the monarch who reigned for 70 years, and he DID make clear that he expects everyone to show respect for the death of a loved national figure.
But he said: “I think it is the right thing to do but I don’t think our people need any kind of advice from me for showing respect. There are plenty of examples where people showed exactly the right respect.
“One which surprised me and I was really proud of that moment was last season when we played Manchester United around a very sad situation with Cristiano Ronaldo ’s family. "And that is what I expect. For me, it is clear that’s what we have to do. That’s it.”
Klopp was asked on his feelings about the Queen, being a German working and living in the UK, but he explained that his nationality has nothing to do with his feelings. Instead he spoke with warmth about the longest serving Monarch in British history, and suggested that the people who have felt a deep sense of loss at her passing should be respected.
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“As far as I know, I don’t know her, but the things you can see she was a really warm nice loved lady and that is all that I need to know,” he said.
“Because of my personal experience not too long…it is obviously not about what I think but what people who are much closer to her feel. And I respect their grief a lot and that is why I will show my respect tomorrow night with the minute’s silence if it goes through.”
UEFA will make the ultimate decision on the minute’s silence, and it is likely it will be held for all European games played in the UK this week.
Liverpool fans were criticised during the FA Cup final for booing the national anthem, and Prince William, who attended the Wembley showpiece. But Klopp is adamant his club’s supporters need no lectures on how to behave, and indicated that he is confident the game will go ahead without incident.
