Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp had sent a message to Liverpool fans after their 1-0 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
The Red dominated the game in the first half and could have been 2 goals up in the first 20 minutes but failed to beat Thibaut Courtois in the goal post. Belgium’s shot-stopper was the hero of the night after putting on an excellent display to deny Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane on a couple of occasions.
Real Madrid through Karim Benzema had put Real Madrid ahead in the first half but the game was ruled out as offside. Vinicius Junior’s goal in the second was enough to win Real Madrid their 14th Champions League trophy.
After the game, Jurgen Klopp made a passionate appeal to the Liverpool Fans claiming they should book their hotels ahead of next season’s Champions League finals in Istanbul Turkey.
What did Klopp say?
Speaking after the Champions League final defeat, he said: “I have a strong feeling we’ll come again,’ Klopp said.
“The boys are competitive.
“It’s an outstanding group together. We will have an outstanding group next season. Where’s it next season? Istanbul? Book the hotel.’
The German added: ‘In the dressing room nobody feels it was a great season at the moment. We may need a few hours for that.
“We played a good game, not a perfect game. I don’t think a perfect game is possible against an opponent set up with a deep formation.
“We had a lot of shots but not the clearest. Courtois made two top saves. We conceded a goal from a throw-in. Valverde wanted to shoot, Vinicius was there and that’s it.
“The boys tried everything, especially at 1-0 down then we played like we wanted to play before. We had our midfielders too deep. It’s a threat they are with counterattacks.
“We wanted to be braver in the second half. That’s what we said at half-time. We played around them. We should have played more in the formation than around them.
“It feels different. It’s not bad to get to the final. It’s a kind of success. Not the success you want to have.”
Jurgen Klopp also expressed his thoughts on the game and the experience of Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Speaking after the game he said: “It’s not important if any other team could have won tonight because Madrid qualified for the final and we qualified for the final and we couldn’t win – that’s the only thing that counts.
“This team of Real Madrid is incredibly experienced, they have the most experienced manager in European football, now the most successful as well.
“ In a football game, in a close football game, and even when we had a lot more shots than Madrid, it is about scoring, easy. Then the other problem is, with 24 shots as you say, I remember three situations where Thibaut Courtois made a proper save, a world-class save, and with our quality, we can cause them more problems. Madrid deserves the Champions League trophy, that’s how it is, when if you lose you have to think you could have done better.
“That’s normal. We think we could have done better. Is it possible at game number 63 to play your absolute best football? I don’t know, but I saw a lot of good things. My team was full of desire, full of passion, we tried hard and you don’t get the reward. That’s part of the game, it will never change.
“What’s the reason for that? I don’t believe these kinds of things that Madrid is unbeatable in finals, they will lose a final someday but it didn’t happen tonight so I think Real Madrid couldn’t care less when that will happen and for us, it’s not too interesting as well.”
