Weird article, as it doesn’t say anything about legal action apart from the first line?!
From here:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/10/18/jurgen-klopp-rejects-claims-inflamed-liverpool-vs-man-city-tensions/Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is taking legal action after being accused in media outlets of xenophobia against Manchester City’s owners in the toxic aftermath of his side’s 1-0 win over the champions at Anfield.
Klopp last Friday had made comments about the spending power of the champions compared with rival clubs but said yesterday his comments were “misunderstood.”
The enthralling encounter on Sunday saw Klopp receive a red card for berating an assistant referee and yesterday the Football Association charged him with misconduct.
City manager Pep Guardiola claimed he had coins thrown at him by home fans and Merseyside Police are investigating claims the City team bus was later damaged.
Asked specifically about reports alleging City sources had suggested his pre-match remarks amounted to xenophobia, Klopp responded: “I don’t feel, 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 – I cannot remember the word, wow! – 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.”
'It is not the first time I am misunderstood'
Klopp irked City and Newcastle United by suggesting they – alongside Paris Saint-Germain – are among the three clubs who “can do what they want financially”. On Tuesday morning, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe followed City by taking exception to the Liverpool manager’s comments.
The Liverpool coach has stood by his remarks, suggesting he was making an observation about the three clubs’ unlimited resources compared to their rivals rather than criticising the trio. In the same press conference last Friday he had described Pep Guardiola as the best manager in the world, City as the best team in the world, and Erling Haaland as the best striker in the world.
“Those [comments] didn’t arrive, obviously,” said Klopp on Tuesday. “That is the life of people who speak in public. It is not the first time that I am misunderstood. I know what I thought when I said it. If someone misunderstands or wants to misunderstand, I cannot change that. I know I have to be careful and I know I am not always careful.
“From time to time I just answer and say what I think. I try to do it in the future as well. It is never my aim to blame anybody when I talk about things which I actually do not think are important in life, but I say what I know about it or how I judge it and see it.”
A brilliant match was overshadowed by the off-field controversies and Liverpool released two statements on Sunday night condemning the supporter who threw a coin at Guardiola and criticising the away fans’ chants about the Hillsborough and Heysel disasters.
'I don't think anybody wants to be best friends with us'
Relations between the clubs will have been soured further over the last 72 hours given the claims and counterclaims.
But Klopp does not feel there is a need to smooth over relationships before their next meeting.
“I am not sure we have to be best friends with other clubs,” said Klopp. “I don’t think anybody wants to be best friends with us. It is a completely normal competition. It started here [in Friday’s press conference] with a question and I answered it and all the rest was made of it. I know what I thought when I said it and I thought I put it in perspective and said how much I respect what they [City] are doing.
“Obviously it was still not right for some, As a club and a team with our supporters we showed an incredible performance. And then if something happens and one fan throws a coin it is a massive mistake and it will get punished, definitely. It looks like a super intense game was overshadowed because it was a brilliant performance against an incredibly strong side.”
Klopp did concede he was out of line with his touchline behaviour during Sunday’s game, his outburst at assistant referee Gary Beswick leading to the red card. The coach has until Friday to respond to the FA charge.
“I apologised to the assistant of course,” said Klopp. “It was my first card in England and it was a red. It was my fault. Reaction is always my fault. It was not as though I stood there all the time and it was a boring 0-0 and then I went bonkers, but no excuse. I don’t want an excuse. It happened, it was obvious and everyone saw it. And then he gave me a red card and it was absolutely OK, really.”
Liverpool look to build on Sunday’s win by hosting West Ham United on Wednesday. They will be without Diogo Jota whose calf injury has ruled him out of the World Cup. “Very sad news for the boy, for us, and for Portugal,” said Klopp.
