Jurgen Klopp accused of inflaming tensions between the two rival fan-bases even before yesterday’s game

Manchester City were reportedly left totally unimpressed by Jurgen Klopp’s remarks in his pre-match press conference, with belief in Manchester that he inflamed animosity ahead of a fixture that has a history of incidents. 

The Reds picked up a 1-0 win at Anfield on Sunday after a fiery affair. Mohamed Salah’s brilliant second-half goal handed Klopp’s men the three points but there were some controversial moments in the game. 

Phil Foden had a goal ruled out after Anthony Taylor was advised to review a possible foul by Erling Haaland on Fabinho in the build-up. 

Klopp was also sent-off towards the end of the game for his furious reaction to the referee not awarding Salah a free-kick deep in City’s half. 

But it seems that the German boss had already angered people at City due to his pre-match comments about the club. 

The BBC reports that Klopp’s comments on ‘three clubs’ in the Premier League not having a financial ceiling actually annoyed senior figures at City. 

“There are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially,” Klopp said during the build-up to yesterday’s game. 

“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.” as transcribed by the Guardian. 

In a wild claim from an unnamed source from City, relayed by the Times‘ Paul Hirst, this has now been accused of being “borderline xenophobic.”

“This comment angered some at City, who felt Klopp’s words were borderline xenophobic,” Hirst writes.

“City felt that Klopp’s comments whipped up tensions ahead of a game that has a history of trouble.”

City boss Pep Guardiola was targeted with coins on the touchline while City also allege that their team bus was hit by an object as they left Anfield.

Liverpool have vowed to study CCTV footage and will issue lifetime bans to any fan found to have thrown coins at Guardiola.

‘Next time they will do it better,’ Guardiola said when asked about coin throwing.

‘They didn’t get me. They tried but didn’t get me. They got it on the coach years ago but not this time.’