Jurgen Klopp has hit back at claims made by Pep Guardiola, who claimed Sadio Mane was a diver.
The Manchester City boss made the accusations after his side’s 2-1 win over Southampton on Saturday.
Mane was booked for diving in the dramatic victory at Aston Villa on the same afternoon, and has won two penalties this season.
Speaking in his pre-Genk press conference on Monday afternoon, Klopp emphatically denied that his player goes to ground too easily:
I am not really in a Man City mood at the moment.
Do I like that he spoke about one of our players? Not really. But Sadio’s not a diver. T
There was contact at Villa, maybe it was not a penalty, but there was contact.
Read Liverpool Verdict
It is a typically well thought out response from Klopp, who is a master at defending his players.
Guardiola’s comments felt completely needless and were seen by some as mind games ahead of Sunday’s clash between Liverpool and City at Anfield.
Mane is not a diver, even though there are times when he will make the most of contract.
There is a clear difference between that and simply going down without being touched.
Let’s hope Mane is fired up by Guardiola’s remarks this weekend.
Comments.
Loading comments…