Jurgen Klopp wasn’t having any of an Amazon presenter’s jokes about 12:30pm kick offs.
The Liverpool manager was speaking after a 2-0 win over Sheffield United, but things quickly turned awkward when a jibe about one of the German’s biggest hates backfired.
The Reds next match is on Saturday away to Crystal Palace in the early slot, something Klopp has regularly vented about, particularly with his team getting the kick-off time disproportionately compared to other sides.
Even directly after international breaks Liverpool have been handed the slot on 14 occasions since Klopp’s arrival, eight more occasions than any other Premier League team.
So when presenter Marcus Buckland mentioned that Klopp’s next game was at ‘his favourite kick-off time’ things soon turned sour.
“That’s brave, that’s really brave I have to say to make a joke about that, really,” he replied.
“It is constant, now we go home, I don’t know what time we’ll arrive, 1am, 2am and we play again.
“We have two sessions Thursday and Friday so it’s fine to recover, and Crystal Palace play tonight as well so it’s absolutely fine.”
Pundits Steve McManaman and Billy Sharp were both smiling along, but they quickly turned awkward when they realised that Klopp was deadly serious.
He continued: “I realise you don’t understand it as well, even when you work in football so why should I try to explain it again?
“If you make a joke of that, trust me you’re completely ignorant. But, it’s good, obviously football is entertainment and I understand it’s all good.”
When Buckland said he wasn’t trying to be ‘disrespectful’ Klopp instantly interjected, saying: “You were already.
“All good, you can say what you want, just I can’t say what I want because that would be really different.”
The pair managed to shake hands, but that didn’t take anything away from an excruciating exchange.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
