Klopp explains Liverpool’s Real Madrid loss

Jurgen Klopp talks to France Football

The latest edition of France Football magazine has been published on Tuesday.

After the launch of the Premier League last week, the main feature in the magazine is an interview with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

The starting point of the conversation was to look back at last season’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.

Mohamed Salah was injured early on in the final in a challenge with Sergio Ramos.

However it was Loris Karius who stole many of the headlines, as the German goalie conceded two poor goals in the final.

L’interview exclusive de Jürgen Klopp, Younes Kaboul qui raconte le foot anglais, le reportage chez le surprenant promu Wolverhampton et bien d’autres encore, c’est à retrouver dans le guide de la Premier League de FF en kiosques mardi : https://t.co/Jf2w2yPG9W pic.twitter.com/nb957s0jJW

— France Football (@francefootball) August 13, 2018

Why Liverpool lost to Real Madrid

Yet, when Klopp sat down with France Football, he gave another reason for why Liverpool lost the Champions League final.

For the Reds boss, it was down to Liverpool’s squad size:

We had a fantastic season last year, although the result of the Champions League final was not what we were hoping for.

Nobody was waiting for us there, even though, as the season progressed, we thought that the final was a possible goal.

Everyone knows that Mo Salah’s injury has changed things. But not only that. We are not going to rewrite the story, but we played the last two months of last season with twelve valid players.

We had to fight with Chelsea until the end (for a top four finish).

Liverpool have boosted their first team options significantly this summer.

Several top players have arrived at Anfield, including Alisson, Naby Keita, Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri.

On France winning the World Cup

Klopp has also discussed France’s World Cup victory in Russia this summer.

The Liverpool boss may now stand accused of having a dig at Didier Deschamps, as he suggested the French coach took the fun out of his team:

France had the right players and the right tactics. Didier Deschamps could have done quite something else with this team.

Let them play, run, excite the whole planet to show how beautiful French football was. But he showed great maturity. He calmed and disciplined everyone, even making the games sometimes a bit boring.

The job of a manager is to use the qualities of his team in the best way.

Also see: Police look into Mohamed Salah using his phone while driving.

Good for Crystal Palace: Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren injury update.