Jurgen Klopp urged Liverpool supporters to celebrate the club’s Premier League victory way responsible, condemning the mass rallies observed in the city last Friday.
In an open letter to the Liverpool Echo newspaper, the Reds boss stressed that it was vital that supporters “stay at home as much as possible”, promising that they can “paint the city red” when the time is right and the threat from the coronavirus is gone.
He wrote: “I like your passion, your songs, your refusal to accept defeat, your engagement, your understanding of the game and your faith in what we do. Even if you can’t be at our games right now, I like that you made sure you were with us by making the Kop look like the Kop, even if he can’t seem like it. I can’t tell you how much the players and I enjoyed it and I have no doubt that this is one of the reasons why our performance against Crystal Palace was so good. “
“What I didn’t like – and I have to say – these are the scenes that took place at Pier Head Friday. I am a human being and your passion is also mine, but for the moment, the most important thing is that we do not have these kinds of public gatherings. We owe it to the most vulnerable in our community, to the health workers who have given so much and whom we have applauded, as well as to the police and local authorities who help us, as a club, not to do that. Please – celebrate – but celebrate safely and in a private setting, so that we don’t risk spreading this terrible disease to our community, “continues Klopp.
The Pier Head rally was condemned by city council officials and Merseyside police, who confirmed that two men had been arrested, one for suspected assault and the other for suspected arson after fireworks hit the city’s iconic Royal Liver Buildings, causing at least 10,000 pounds of damage.
Klopp added: “If things were different, I would love nothing more than to party together, to have a parade that would be even bigger than the one that followed our victory in the Champions League last year. , so we can all share this special moment, but it’s just not possible. We’ve all done so much to fight the Covid-19 and this effort cannot be wasted. We owe it to ourselves and to others to do what is right and, right now, it means being together and being there for others by being apart. When the time is right, we will celebrate it. We will take advantage of this moment and paint the city in red. But for now, stay at home as much as possible. This is not the time to be in large numbers in the city center or to go near the football fields. “
“At the start of this crisis, I said that we do not want to play in an empty stadium but that if only one person can stay healthy, we would do it without question and nothing has changed to make me change my mind. I already knew and loved the German word solidarität before coming to Liverpool and now I have learned that the English word is solidarity because I have heard it used by our supporters over the past few months. For me, this is the word that, more than any other, best sums up what the people of Liverpool are. This is the reason why they came together to do PPE, this is the reason why they delivered food and medicine packages to people when they needed it most and that’s why they’re coming together in so many different ways in such a difficult time.
“If we can continue to come together by being separated, we hope to play an important role in the fight against this disease. I know we can do it because I experienced the difference that can be made and that the actors and I benefited from it. I hope that in a few months, or longer if necessary, I will be able to write another letter to the Liverpool Echo to thank you for putting the health of our people above everything else. Nothing would make me more proud, “he concluded.
.
