Liverpool and Manchester United are two clubs steeped in history, trophies and tragedy, the latter being something one fan base uses against the other when the teams face each other and this has led Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag to issue a joint statement.
As shared on the club’s official website, our manager said: “We want the noise; we want the occasion to be partisan and we want the atmosphere to be electric. What we don’t want is anything that goes beyond that and this especially applies to the kind of chants that have no place in football. If we can keep the passion and lose the poison, it will be much better for everyone.
The Old Trafford Dutchman added: “It is unacceptable to use loss of life, in connection with any tragedy, to score points, and it is time this stopped. Those responsible tarnish not only the reputation of our clubs, but also, and very importantly, the reputation of themselves, the fans and our great cities”.
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It’s really sad that in 2023 we still have to talk about events that happened 65 (Munich), 38 (Heysel) and 34 (Hillsborough) years ago, for all the wrong reasons.
All the people who died during these tragic events should be rightly remembered by all of football and society, but they never used a stick to mock a group of fans.
It’s sickening that we hear references to Heysel and Hillsborough on an almost weekly basis at Anfield so often and, even despite this joint statement, it’s likely to happen again in our next game.
Statements like this will help, but we need to see real repercussions for anyone seen or heard signing off on events like these three tragedies, as this is the only way it will truly stop.
The vast majority will know that this is just common sense and clearly correct, but there are always a few idiots who ruin it for everyone and the sooner they are banned from games the better.
Both clubs are to be applauded for taking this public step in the right direction and hopefully we start to see real change.
#Ep72 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Author talk with Marios Mantzos about Jurgen Klopp… and more!
