- Title: Liverpool sunk by Atletico extra-time triple leaving Klopp at a loss
- Date: 12th March 2020
- Summary: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (MARCH 11, 2020) (REUTERS) ATLETICO MADRID, MANAGER DIEGO SIMEONE, ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ATLETICO MADRID, MANAGER DIEGO SIMEONE, SAYING: "(We're) a team that values never having left our game plan, it never changed once. We brought that to get to 2-1, which gave us a boost of strength and then it opened up some space we knew we'd have to wrap up a game that will go down in history for Atletico Madrid fans and it fills us with pride as a club to be amongst the best 8 teams in Europe once again." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ATLETICO MADRID, MANAGER DIEGO SIMEONE, ON HIS SIDE'S GAME PLANE, SAYING: "It's to win. Using our weapons to win. Respecting our identity, respecting the characteristics of the players we have, exploiting our rivals' weakness, and that's how we play." WHITE FLASH SIMEONE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, ARRIVING TO NEWS CONFERENCE WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, SAYING: "I've said now already to pretty much all the TV stations. I'm really an under-average loser, to be honest. At least tonight. If I were to say all the things I have on my mind I would look like the worst loser in the world. So, I better stop here." JOURNALIST ASKING: "What else do you want to say?" KLOPP, SAYING: "Funny, I don't say it. It's just about - the way they play, I just don't get. I don't get it. But, it's right. The winner is right. That's how it is." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, SAYING: "We tried everything. For two and a half years we had an exceptional ride in the Champions League. It's like we've had party, after party, after party in the Champions League pretty much. And tonight was a party. Everything was great. Crowd exceptional, the stadium, everything showed up in the best way. The boys delivered, super game, fought hard, played well, scored wonderful goals, but we lost. So, that's it. No impact on nothing. So, now we have more time to prepare for the Premier League games, obviously. We'll see how the season will go on. Nobody knows that obviously at this moment exactly. And that's it. We were lucky in moments in the Champions League when we went through for some reason. Usually, we really deserved, but there were lucky moments as well. Tonight, we're out. How's that? Atletico won both games. They're deserved in the next round. So, from now own we will watch the Champions League instead of being a part of it." WHITE FLASH KLOPP LEAVING
- Embargoed: 26th March 2020 00:38
- Keywords: Atletico Madrid Champions League Diego Simeone Juergen Klopp Liverpool
- Location: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK
- City: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4LZPDR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS WHITE FLASHES
There are no points in the Champions League for aesthetically pleasing or entertaining football but Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said something didn't feel right about his team's defeat by defence-minded Atletico Madrid on Wednesday (March 11).
Holders Liverpool were hit by three goals in extra-time, losing 3-2 in the second leg of their last 16 tie at Anfield to go out 4-2 on aggregate and the German, who guided his team to the final in the past two seasons, couldn't resist some barbed comments about his counterpart Diego Simeone's tactics saying he doesn't understand how they play.
It was hardly a surprise, though, that the Spanish side adopted such an approach -- a tight defence and compact midfield has been the hallmark of Atletico during Argentine Simeone's eight years in charge.
Simeone cannot call on the world-class playmakers and strikers available to La Liga rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid and compensates with organisation, work-rate and an ability to work out the best way to punish opponents.
Klopp knows, however, that despite this disappointment, this is a memorable season for Liverpool who lead the Premier League by 25 points will surely be crowned English champions for the first time in 30 years.
So, he was not about to let his frustration turn into criticism of his strikers for the failure to convert chances into more goals as he heaped praise on his players.
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