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Football news - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp compliments French translator's 'very erotic voice'
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Published 28/11/2018 at 01:03 GMT
Liverpool's Champions League hopes hang in the balance as they head to face Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night, but manager Jurgen Klopp showed no signs of pressure during his pre-match press conference.
Jurgen Klopp
Image credit: Getty Images
The Reds will qualify for the knockout stage with a game to spare if they win and Red Star Belgrade do not beat Napoli, whereas PSG’s chances of progress will be ended if they lose and Napoli win.
Klopp felt soothed by the dulcet tones of the French translator's voice as he fielded questions from the world's media, with the German complimenting the man for his 'very erotic voice' - much to the amusement of those in attendance.
The Reds boss said: "That's a very erotic voice by the way, translator. Congratulations. Wow! Again please."
Having composed himself, Klopp backed Mohamed Salah to return to his best after admitting he needed time to recover from a gruelling campaign before last summer's World Cup.
The Reds boss believes the Egypt international is finally back to full fitness, which he hopes will signal a return to the calmness in opposition penalty areas which brought 42 goals last season.
Klopp said it had taken time for Salah’s body to readjust following a shoulder injury which forced him off in last season's Champions League final, but he now sees a forward back to peak fitness.
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Klopp was in fine form during his pre-match press conference
Image credit: Getty Images
“It is all good. Even Mo Salah is a human being and he needed time. Everything is fine. The body is back, 100 per cent, and his physical things he can rely on,” said the German.
“Mo played a World Cup being 94 or 95 per cent fit because of the shoulder. He then had two, three weeks off. That is actually nothing.
“The first three weeks of holiday for a football player after such an intense season you do not even feel rest.
“Then the pre-season starts again and for the first time in his life it was clear that after scoring more than 40 goals (the question was), ‘How do we deal with that?’.
“Obviously you (the media) struggled a bit with that. Will he score 40 goals again? As a human being how can he be convinced 100 per cent that he scores again 40 goals?
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Mohamed Salah has scored six goals in his last seven appearances
Image credit: Getty Images
“Is it even important to score 40 goals again? Of course not. The only thing was his body needed time to adapt. Still a world-class player, still a threat in a game, but in the scoring situations not the same calmness, coolness.
“Since before the last international break it was completely obvious in each session it clicked again. He’s there. If you are in doubt easily then it could affect you, but not for one second was he in doubt and I was not in doubt. Nobody here was in doubt actually.”
Salah has scored nine in 18 appearances this season, with six in his last seven. At the same stage 12 months ago he had 14 goals, with eight in his last seven matches.
Considering the physical restrictions Klopp believes he has been operating on, that is not a bad return and comes at the perfect time with a crucial Champions League match against PSG in the French capital.
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Liverpool-PSG, Champions League 2018-2019: Daniel Sturridge esulta dopo aver realizzato il momentaneo 1-0 (Imago)
Image credit: Imago
“Paris are a real package, defensively and offensively. You have to play football against them or you will never get rid of the pressure,” added Klopp.
“With the ball they make constant pressure, so if you have the ball you have to control the game. You need really big balls to do that.
“In the home game (a 3-2 victory) we did that really well. We had dominant phases and that is what we need to have to do again. The fact is they are good and if we are not at our peak, at our best, we have no chance.”
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