I Didn’t Plan To Argue With Arteta – Klopp

Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp has come out to say that he deserved a yellow card for his argument with Mikel Arteta on Sunday. He recently revealed that he really didn’t plan to have an altercation with the Spaniard but it had to happen.

According to him, there was nothing wrong with the challenge from Mane that caused the argument because the Senegalese is simply a physical player.

Klopp added that even if his reaction was over the top, Sadio didn’t deserve a card for his tackle.

His words, “It wasn’t the plan – the situation was that Sadio [Mane] goes for a clean heading challenge, no one makes a foul and they get up and for me it’s a bit too obvious that there was nothing,”

“He’s just a physical player – you can’t do that, it happens too often and it’s not right. When they rise up from the bench it’s difficult to not get up and say something.”

“It was about the situation that it was no foul from Sadio [Mane] but the Arsenal bench went up like it was a red card. I asked what they want in that situation.”

“We had to take Sadio off against Atletico [Madrid in the Champions League] because they wanted him to get a yellow card. The referee did really well in that situation – I deserved a yellow card. It wasn’t not OK and that is what I said. It just happened in the moment.”

“If it was a harsh challenge we are all like this, but it was nothing, he didn’t even touch him, it was just two players going up in the air. And [Arteta’s reaction] was not okay and that is what I said.”

Arteta added, “He was defending his team, I was defending my team, that’s it. It doesn’t matter,”

“Yes I did [speak to Jurgen Klopp after the match] and I congratulated him. These moments are left on the pitch.”