Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, has refuted allegations that he made xenophobic remarks about Manchester City before Sunday's Premier League match at Anfield. Klopp said, "I know what I thought," in reference to his statement that "nobody can compete" with the Abu Dhabi-owned champions.
An anonymous briefing connected to City claims that Klopp's remarks about the club's wealth were disparaging of the Abu Dhabi ownership group, led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan. Klopp is awaiting word from the English Football Association on whether or not he will face charges for receiving a red card during the 1-0 victory over Pep Guardiola's team.
However, Klopp said his remarks had been misinterpreted during a press conference on Tuesday, the day before West Ham United was to play.
“That is [the] life of people who speak in public,” Klopp said. “It is not the first time I am misunderstood. I know what I thought when I said it. When someone misunderstands, I cannot help that.
“I know I have to be careful and when I’m not I realise it. I try to do it [be careful] in the future. I say what I know or I judge it how I see it.
“It started with a question and I answered it and all the rest was made of it. I know what I thought and put it in perspective and said how much I respect what they are doing and it was still not right for some.”
Despite Liverpool issuing a statement condemning “vile chants” by the City supporters relating to the Heysel and Hillsborough disasters, there has so far been no similar condemnation from within the Etihad, which Klopp refused to discuss when asked.
“This kind of question I would like not to answer,” he said. “We responded as a club, I think it is what we have to do. Apart from that, everything from a non-native English speaker, everything would be open to misinterpretation again.”
The fallout from Sunday’s game, which also saw claims that Guardiola was hit by coins thrown from the stand and the City bus targeted with objects on its way out of Liverpool, has added another chapter to the increasingly hostile relationship between the two clubs.
And Klopp admitted that it is unrealistic to expect all clubs to be on friendly terms.
“I am not sure we have to be best friends with other clubs,” he said. “I am not sure anybody wants to be best friends with us.
“Respect? A question I can’t even answer because I have no idea. You have to ask to the people at City.”