What did Jurgen Klopp say on Man City? What is Xenophobia? Liverpool boss responds to claims

A look at the situation surrounding Jurgen Klopp’s comments on Manchester City’s spending habits.
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Jurgen Klopp has responded to claims he has made xenophobic comments in relation to Manchester City and others. Klopp has made clear in comments he has issued since that he is not xenophobic. He was asked about spending habits in the Premier League ahead of Liverpool’s clash with City over the weekend, and he had plenty to say.

The Reds boss feels his side are disadvantaged due to the spending limits - or lack thereof - for other clubs, before the encounter followed at Anfield. Liverpool went on to win the game, but the drama continued long after the final whistle, with claims of xenophobia. Here’s everything you need to know about the situation.

What did Klopp say?

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“Oh, you won’t like the answer. You will not like the answer, and you all have the answer already. Nobody can compete with City in that. You have the best team in the world and you put in the best striker on the market. No matter what it costs, you just do it. I know City will not like it, nobody will like it, you’ve asked the question but you know the answer. What does Liverpool do? We cannot act like them. It is not possible. Not possible. It is just clear and again you know the answer,” Klopp explained.

“There are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially. It’s legal and everything, fine, but they can do what they want. They will say: ‘Yeah but we have ...’ but it’s exactly the fact. We have to look at it [and say]: ‘We need that and we need that and we have to look here and make it younger, and here a prospect and here a talent’ and that is what you have to do. And you compete with them.”

What is xenophobia?

Xenophobia is defined as a ‘dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries’.

What has Klopp said in response?

In response to the claims, Klopp has since said: “In this specific case, I don’t feel it at all. I know myself. And you cannot hit with something which is miles away from my personality. If I was (xenophobic) like this I would hate it. I would hate myself for being like this. I have said a lot of times things that were a little bit open for misunderstanding. I know that. It was not intentional, just sometimes you say things and you think ‘Oh my God! It can be interpreted like this!’ but this is not one of these moments. Absolutely.”