A national media report said Manchester City sources claimed Jurgen Klopp's pre-match comments were "borderline xenophobia"
 |
| Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool FC to take legal actions against The Times and Mail, it has been gathered |
Liverpool have taken legal action against a number of publications over claims that their manager Jurgen Klopp may have been "borderline xenophobic" when he spoke about Manchester City's spending power.
Liverpool's 1-0 win at Anfield in Sunday's Premier League clash was marred by a series of contentious incidents, including chants from Manchester City fans over the tragedies of Hillsborough and Heysel.
Liverpool issued a statement condemning the offensive chants, but City have not publicly commented on the actions of their supporters.
Meanwhile, a state media report after the game said City sources described Klopp's pre-match comments as "borderline xenophobia".
Now it has been gathered that The Times and one other media had published a post on Monday which has now been edited to carry a prompt saying: "This article is the subject of a legal complaint from Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool FC".
On Tuesday, Klopp dismissed any suggestion that he was xenophobic and insisted his comments about spending power were understood by clubs including Manchester City and Newcastle United.
He said: "I know myself and you cannot hit me with something that is miles away from my personality.
"If I would be like this - I actually can't remember the word (xenophobic) - I would hate myself for being like this. A lot of times I say things that are open for misunderstanding, I know it, but it's not intentional.
"Sometimes you say things and then later you realise 'oh my God! that could be understood [differently]' but this is not one of those times. It was not.
"Obviously not all of you journalists see it the same way. Some chief writers see it differently. It's an open world, obviously and we can have different views. That is how it is, so nothing else to say."