Soccer: Mourinho targets Klopp – and Guardiola – after Liverpool defeat



[ad_1]

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) – Tottenham Hotspur manager José Mourinho took aim at Juergen Klopp after his team’s 2-1 loss to German Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday and even found time to replenish his old feud with Pep Guardiola.

A header from Roberto Firmino in the 90th minute earned Liverpool a victory that left them three points clear of Spurs at the top of the Premier League.

It was hard to accept for Mourinho, whose team was not only minutes away from a hard-won draw, but could have won the game with Steven Bergwijn hitting the post and Harry Kane missing a big opportunity.

Asked about what appeared to be an irritable exchange with Klopp after the final whistle, Mourinho told Amazon Prime: “I told him the best team lost. He disagreed. That is his opinion. By the way, I did behave as in the touchline like he does, I don’t have a chance to stay there, and I leave after a minute. “

When asked if he was referring to the ‘animated’ way in which Klopp reacted during play on the touchline, Mourinho replied, ‘Is that animated? Is that animated? Or do you want me to take the screen ) the hands of the fourth official? “

The last comment was almost certainly a reference to Manchester City manager Guardiola’s response to the extra time shown at the end of his team’s draw with West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday when he grabbed the board from the fourth official.

When asked if he thought Klopp’s behavior had exceeded the limit, Mourinho said there seemed to be a double standard.

“For some reason I’m different. And that’s it,” he said.

“Everything is fine between us,” he told the BBC in a separate interview.

“The referees let him behave like he does. It’s not my problem. I feel sad that I can’t do it, but that’s the way it is.”

Klopp seemed taken aback when asked about his conversation with Mourinho full time.

“It didn’t get hot at all,” he told the BBC. “He wasn’t happy because he told me the best team had lost, and I thought he was kidding! But he wasn’t. So that’s it.”

(Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Toby Davis)



[ad_2]