08 March 2024 , 00:03
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The business end of the season may be arriving as Jurgen Klopp enters the final months of his time at Anfield, but the Liverpool boss has certainly retained his sense of humour.
The German coach was quietly spoken in his press conference following Liverpool's comprehensive 5-1 win over Sparta Prague but could not resist flashing his gleaming teeth and wry smile when the opportunity arose. After more than two decades in management without a break, Klopp will no doubt be well-versed in navigating the monotony of some questions and also pitfalls that can often be present.
Fortunately for him, his pending departure from the Premier League might offer him an easy out on occasion. Wednesday evening saw Klopp asked if there was 'any player from Sparta you would like for Liverpool?'. Barely missing a beat the 56-year-old nodded to his summer plans to avoid any notion of transfers.
Klopp could not withhold a smile by the time he reached his second sentence however. He said: "I retire in the summer. You want me to take him on holiday or what?"
Goals from Alex Mac Allister, Darwin Nunez (twice), Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai ensured a dominant first leg lead for the Reds, albeit with a minor injury scare for Ibrahima Konate. However, Klopp believes that the result flattered his side, and he was impressed with elements of Sparta's play.
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He explained: "So, the result is much better than the performance, that's true. Sparta played a good game; Sparta took some risks in our possession, they [were] hiding wingers slightly [and] our protection was not good, so they could create these counter-attacks. We lost a few unnecessary balls, which is then difficult to protect, but in other moments we should have done better.
"We adapted during the game and could again actually tell the boys in half-time how we should do it, but then we conceded a goal immediately. But after that it was then not that we controlled it much better and Sparta had chances but I think, I am not 100 per cent sure, but I think two of the big chances they had looked for me offside and Caoimh [Kelleher] made a save and we never saw the flag then. Nobody watched these situations back but that's fine.
Darwin Nunez scored a brace in Liverpool's win (MARTIN DIVISEK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)"But, how I said, Sparta took risks, we punished them for that in other moments, we scored wonderful goals, we had good moments in the game, really good moments in the game and we are not like that, that we think coming here is a walk in the park. It obviously was not a walk in the park, we had to work a lot, but we did not expect an easy game and it was not. But it was a good result and now we fly home, recover and in seven days we meet again."
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