Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag have both shared a very important message ahead of Liverpool’s clash against Manchester United on Sunday.
The two great rivals of the English northwest go head-to-head at Old Trafford this weekend, their second meeting at the venue in just 22 days following a dramatic FA Cup clash between the teams last month.
That 4-3 win for the Red Devils came amid the reprehensible backdrop of widespread and clearly audible tragedy chanting, which depressingly has been a recurring feature of matches between the two clubs.
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Speaking ahead of Sunday’s fixture, Klopp said (via liverpoolfc.com): “In general it’s just helpful that we educate our kids in specific things: respect, understanding, all these kind of things. I just see it that way, that two of the biggest football clubs in the world, let’s just show a bit of class in these moments.
“So, don’t sing this or sing that, just show class. Have a fight on the pitch, let’s play football. If you want, be happy if we lose or whatever – these kinds of things, that’s all fine. But besides that, just show a bit of class. That would be really my wish for all of us.”
Ten Hag made a similar appeal to match-going supporters, saying (via manutd.com): “It is part of my duty to remind every supporter fortunate enough to be at the game that it must be enjoyed in the proper way, and not used as an excuse for abusing rival fans about Hillsborough, Heysel or any other historic tragedies.
“This is one of the truly great rivalries in world sport, for so many of the right reasons, and it is our responsibility to keep it that way. Whether the clubs meet at Old Trafford or Anfield, all supporters must focus entirely on backing their team, and both Jurgen and I trust that we can count on that happening.”
We can only hope that every person in attendance at Old Trafford on Sunday – and indeed everyone who pertains to be a supporter of Man United or Liverpool – will keep the rivalry purely to footballing matters and not indulge in disgusting behaviour over tragedies of the past.
They have both been affected by tragic events in their history, and great efforts have been made by staff of both clubs to try and improve relations off the pitch by uniting to work towards stamping out hatred when it comes to the loss of lives.
The scourge of tragedy chanting isn’t exclusive to this fixture by any means – it has sadly become all too prevalent across English football in recent years – and we can only hope that it doesn’t rear its ugly head this weekend, or ever again.
The rivalry between United and Liverpool will never diminish, and there’s always a place for good-natured banter between the two sets of supporters.
However, there is no place in football – or indeed society – for the toxic discourse which has been spewed at stadia and online about 97 Reds fans being unlawfully killed at Hillsborough, or the 23 fatalities of the Munich air crash.
We have two wishes for Sunday – an away win at Old Trafford and, far more importantly, an end to the tragedy chanting which has sullied previous editions of this fixture.