Jurgen Klopp has reacted to an awkward scene that greeted the Merseyside Derby on Saturday, September 2, 2022. A fan had thrown a bottle at him while another invaded the pitch and confronted the center referee.
The Merseyside derby on Saturday, September 2, 2022, generated many on-pitch and off-pitch controversies, as well as two ugly scenarios.
Tensions between the clubs soared and boiled over to the stands as two angry Everton fans ran amok during the match, with one targeting the Liverpool manager with a plastic bottle missile.
It was in the 71st minute when a seeming goal deadlock between the two teams was broken. Everton had gone into the lead courtesy of defender Conor Coady’s sparkling header.
Antony Taylor wasted no time ruling it as a goal as Everton players and fans frolicked into a celebration. The ecstasy ended abruptly when Anthony Taylor received a signal for a VAR check. It was an unsolicited nightmare for Everton fans. The goal was disallowed. The scoreline was returned to a barren draw.
This ushered in two awkward episodes in the Merseyside Derby. First, an Everton fan was pictured invading the pitch and heading towards Anthony Taylor to confront him for disallowing Conor Coady’s goal. The fan, who was visibly furious with the center referee and the VAR decision, was restrained by the players before being bundled out of the pitch by other match officials.
In another incident, another Everton fan from the stands had aimed at Jurgen Klopp, who was on the touchline. He threw a plastic bottle (previously thought as a glass bottle) at the Liverpool manager. The plastic bottle narrowly missed Jurgen Klopp.
Jurgen Klopp Reacts
With a characteristic sense of humor and simplicity, Jurgen reacted to the bottle missile incident aimed at him during the heated Derby in a post-match press conference.
“I thought it was a glass bottle but it was not, I have seen it now. It looked like glass and that would have been really dangerous but it was plastic,” he said.
Klopp also reacted to the outcome of the match. In his words, ‘as rule number one, you don’t lose a derby match. A draw is okay.’
“Rule number one, if you can’t win the derby, don’t lose it.”
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 3, 2022
Jurgen Klopp shared his thoughts on Liverpool’s draw with Everton 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/pG18JovMvW
Before the start of the new season, a new rule to check fans’ behavior was introduced. Match invaders were to receive a club ban automatically.
According to the English media, the two erring fans who spearheaded the nasty scenario have been identified. Everton will be expected to issue lengthy bans to both fans.
Meanwhile, the two Merseyside clubs had to battle ‘racist and offensive graffiti’ before the match. Some fans have defaced some buildings and murals – a gesture that has sparked outrage and widespread condemnation by both clubs. An investigation into the incident has begun. The clubs have reiterated their unyielding stand and deterrence for all races.
