After Liverpool’s win over Sheffield United, Jurgen Klopp had an awkward run-in with a TV presenter over 12.30pm kick-offs.
It should have been a well-humoured interview after his team had won at Bramall Lane, but Klopp’s post-match appearance on Amazon Prime turned slightly frosty towards the end.
With Billy Sharp and Steve McManaman by his side, TV presenter Marcus Buckland joked that Liverpool play at Klopp’s “favourite kick-off time at the weekend.”
He was sarcastically referring to the match against Crystal Palace that will kick off at 12.30pm (GMT), a time slot Liverpool play in more often than any other Premier League side and that Klopp is known to dislike.
Klopp responded with sarcasm of his own, saying: “That’s really great to make a joke about that, really…
“We have two sessions so it’s fine to recover then we go again.
“Crystal Palace played tonight as well, it’s just not, but I realise you don’t understand it as well even when you work in football so why should I try to explain again?
“If you make a joke of that it means just we are completely ignorant but it’s good.”
Klopp kept a smile on his face but clearly wasn’t pleased as he continued: “Obviously football is entertainment and I understand, it’s all good.”
The presenter replied: “It’s just one of those issues that come up and I’m not trying to be disrespectful.”
To which, Klopp said: “You were already.”
“Well, Jurgen I apologise,” the conversation continued.
Klopp then added: “It’s good, you can say what you want. It’s just I cannot say what I want because that would be really different.”
This made for awkward viewing and, while everyone kept smiling, Klopp had one last dig as he departed.
Buckland closed the chat, telling Klopp: “We wish you every success at Crystal Palace at the weekend.”
Putting the microphone down, the boss grinned and said: “Yeah, and you will tell that to Crystal Palace as well, thank you very much.”
While people will have differing opinions over whether Klopp was right to put Buckland on the spot, the German is justified in his annoyance about Liverpool playing at 12.30pm yet again.
Their last fixture then, against Man City, was moved to the time slot for policing reasons. The upcoming match against Crystal Palace, though, has no reason to be there.
In fact, had Liverpool been playing in a Champions League game this evening, they wouldn’t be allowed to play at 12.30pm on Saturday.
Instead, TNT found a loophole so the Reds will feature in that slot for the fourth time already this campaign.
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