Jurgen Klopp defends Arnold following England star's controversial comments on Man City
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Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jurgen Klopp || Image credit: Imago

Jurgen Klopp defends Arnold following England star's controversial comments on Man City

Faruq Ibrahim 22:50 - 08.03.2024

Klopp staunchly supports Alexander-Arnold's stance on Liverpool's 'this means more' philosophy, highlighting the team's deep-rooted connection to success and emphasizing the unique significance of trophies to the club. The manager's defense sheds light on the genuine respect for opponents while underlining the heartfelt sentiment within the Liverpool camp.

Jurgen Klopp robustly defended Trent Alexander-Arnold's recent comments about the significance of trophies to Liverpool compared to Manchester City.

Klopp's response comes after remarks from Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias questioning Alexander-Arnold's statements, highlighting a heated build-up to the impending Liverpool vs. Man City match.

Klopp's Strong Rebuttal

Jurgen Klopp provided a strong rebuttal to the criticisms surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold's comments, emphasizing the respect Liverpool holds for Manchester City as opponents, manager Pep Guardiola, and their talented players.

“I’m not sure how often in this club we have to say that you know how much we respect the opponent, in this case City,” Klopp said, per the Athletic.

“How often we have to say, and mean, Pep is the best manager in the world. They have incredible players: probably the best no.9 in Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne will go down in history. Phil Foden, best English player at the moment probably. We all respect it and Trent respects it.

“He’s born in Liverpool.  He played through all youth teams. What would you think in this situation? One of our slogans that I love is ‘this means more’. And it means more to us. We have no clue what it means to other people, but what happens here means more to us.

Jurgen Klopp with the FA Cup trophy | Imago
Jurgen Klopp with the FA Cup trophy | Imago

“Two years ago we had a parade after winning the League Cup and FA Cup, losing the Champions League final the night before, losing the league by a point. Tell me a city where you have a parade where it looks like we won all these trophies without having them. The club is special to us. If it’s not special to other people, and we cannot change that, but if we feel it like that, why shouldn’t we be allowed to say it?"

Different Perspectives on Trophy Significance

Klopp elaborated on the differing perceptions of trophy value, citing Liverpool's unique connection to their successes and the club's historical context. He pointed out that while City has enjoyed recent dominance in English football, Liverpool's victories hold distinct importance due to the club's narrative and the scarcity of recent major honors.

“It’s just how he (Trent) feels and how we feel, and I have absolutely no problem with that,” Klopp continued. “In the last decade Manchester City are the most successful team in England. I’m sure it means a lot to their people, but for us, maybe it’s just for the fact we didn’t win that many, it’s special as well.

Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Liverpool's Trent Alexander Arnold | Imago
Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Liverpool's Trent Alexander Arnold | Imago

“We are not in the situation of winning five league titles, and winning a sixth and thinking ‘oh, number five was better’. We’ve never had that situation so we don’t know 100 per cent.

“You love these kind of interviews where someone tells you what they think and then the whole world tells you: ‘it’s not right what you think’. Nothing wrong with what Trent said from my point of view.”

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