Jürgen Klopp has appealed for “responsibility from everyone” at Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final in Rome amid concerns over security and the attack that critically injured a Liverpool supporter outside Anfield.
A high-level Liverpool delegation met officials from UEFA, Roma and the Italian authorities in Rome on Friday to discuss a range of security and safety issues that remain unanswered after two weeks of negotiations. Liverpool’s concerns have been heightened by the assault on 53-year-old Sean Cox before the first leg on Tuesday. Two Roma fans are due to appear at crown court on 24 May in connection with the attack.
The Liverpool manager said he was at a loss to comprehend the violence that, along with the season-ending injury to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, had tarnished his team’s superb 5-2 victory at Anfield. And he urged everyone involved in the second leg – Liverpool’s 5,000 supporters, Roma fans and the authorities – to ensure the second leg makes headlines for the right reasons.
“It is only football, only football,” said Klopp. “I never understood people who did not understand that fact. I never my whole life thought it is nice that they have a fight next to a stadium or whatever. I am pretty sure everyone who is involved in keeping all people there safe that they do their best and in a modern world it will be possible. I am not too concerned about that but I really ask for responsibility from everyone.
“It is a football game, not more, nor less, so let’s play football. If Roma will win that game and come to the final then they deserve it. If we go through we deserve it. The rest can be really nice atmosphere-wise, as we had in our stadium. They had a few big games at Rome recently and they were spot-on but around the stadium no one should think about anything else other than the game.”
The Liverpool manager wore an Irish tricolour Liverbird at his press conference on Friday in tribute to Mr Cox, who is from Dunboyne in County Meath. The father of three remains in an induced coma following brain surgery.
Klopp added: “Tuesday showed the beauty of the game during the game and showed it’s most ugly face before the game. I cannot describe my emotions in English still. It should never have happened and we all have to do everything to make sure things like that will not happen anymore.
“I obviously don’t have the solution for it, probably no one has that, but it is unbelievable that something like this can happen. As you can imagine all our thoughts and prayers at this moment are with Sean and his family.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s knee injury also overshadowed what should have been a momentous occasion for Klopp, and he made a striking vow to the Liverpool midfielder as the player begins a lengthy recovery from serious ligament damage.
“I cannot believe that this wonderful player and person in such a positive situation helping the team, making such a clear challenge, had this happen to him,” Klopp said. “It’s not fair but that’s how life is sometimes. They say you get a lemon, make lemonade out of it and that’s what we have to do. I’ve told him we will wait for him like a good wife when a man is in prison.”