Sports
Revealed: What really happened between Jurgen Klopp and Xherdan Shaqiri immediate aftermath of Liverpool’s loss to Chelsea
Jurgen Klopp was left furious with Xherdan Shaqiri at full-time following Liverpool’s defeat to Chelsea and was spotted shouting at the winger on the pitch.
The German was clearly agitated by something his summer signing had done and angrily gestured at the Swiss ace.
To add further fuel to Klopp’s rage, Eden Hazard had struck an awesome winner just moments earlier as Chelsea came from a goal down to knock Liverpool out of the Carabao Cup.
Klopp’s actions were spotted by many viewers who took to Twitter asking why he was so angry.
The Liverpool boss soon explained his actions in his post-match press conference.
Klopp revealed he was angry because Shaqiri let Jordan Hendseron take a free-kick in a threatening position in the last minute of the game.
The 28-year-old attempted to dink the ball over the wall for his team-mates to attack but ended up over-hitting the set-piece and wasting Liverpool’s last chance of the game.
The Liverpool boss wanted Shaqiri to take the free-kick so he could play in Mohamed Salah from wide and was left incensed by his decision making.
Klopp’s exchange with the 26-year-old ended in a particularly frosty manner.
What Klopp said to Xherdan Shaqiri after Liverpool’s Carabao Cup exit
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed his disagreement with Xherdan Shaqiri was over a late free-kick.
Liverpool were dumped out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night after a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Anfield.
After the final whistle, TV cameras showed a visibly frustrated Klopp disagreeing with Shaqiri on the pitch, reports the Liverpool Echo.
And the Reds boss has revealed he was discussing an injury-time free-kick he believed could have been played differently as his side pressed for an equaliser.
“I spoke about a free-kick – the last one,” said Klopp. “Mo was standing wide and a whole bunch of players were in one the direction where we shot the ball.
“If he could have played in Mo on a one-on-one situation in the last minute of the game it would have been not too bad. It was only about the free-kick, nothing else.
“But at 1-0, Shaq was completely alone in the box and maybe you will have to ask him why he didn’t shoot in that situation.”
After a poor first-half display, Liverpool – sporting eight changes from the team that beat Southampton at the weekend – went ahead through Daniel Sturridge’s 58th-minute volley.
Sturridge had earlier missed a glorious chance, and the Reds were made to pay for other spurned opportunities when Emerson and substitute Eden Hazard struck for Chelsea in the final 11 minutes.
“We had the chances, of course,” said Klopp. “It was a difficult game for both sides, for us unfortunately because I have said before we have a specific style of play and you need to get used to it.
“Minute by minute, we get more used to it. Even at the start when we left too many spaces and they could play between the lines, we already had bigger chances.
“We weren’t really a big threat but the more and we got used to it, the first half was good. The second half started well, we scored the goal and could have scored before.
“We played much calmer football which we could have done first half. Against such a dominant side like Chelsea, in the moment you have then ball then you need to dominate them.”
Summer signing Fabinho made his full Liverpool debut, while Simon Mignolet, Dejan Lovren, Alberto Moreno and Nathaniel Clyne were all handed their first starts of the campaign.
And Klopp said: “We had five players on the pitch with their first start of the whole season. I am really happy that they had the game now they are really back.
They got the rhythm in the game. We learned during the game and controlled it much better.
“We were 1-0 up, could have scored a second, hit the crossbar, but then they scored the goal after the free-kick which was unlucky as the foul and the goal weren’t clear.
“(After the equaliser) Chelsea had the momentum in the game but I don’t think we showed a bad reaction.
“But then Eden Hazard came in and scored a wonderful goal. Hazard was on the run but of course we could have defended it better.
“It was really quick and in the box, Eden Hazard, full speed, it’s not easy. That’s how it is and we didn’t have enough time to strike back.”
Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gini Wijnaldum and Andy Robertson were not in the matchday squad and Klopp said: “A couple of the players who were not involved are not 100% fit.”
