‘Keep the passion and lose the poison’ – Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag message to Manchester United and Liverpool fans
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Published 04/03/2023 at 11:13 GMT
Manchester United and Liverpool have issued a joint statement in which their respective managers Erik ten Hag and Jurgen Klopp call for an end to chants about historic club tragedies such as Hillsborough, Heysel and Munich. The two Premier League rivals face off at Anfield on Sunday in a crucial league clash, and both managers urged supporters to keep their passion but avoid unsavoury chants.
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The managers of Liverpool and Manchester United, Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag, have joined together to call for an end to chants about historic tragedies involving the two clubs.
The two Premier League giants face off at Anfield on Sunday in the latest instalment of one of English football’s fiercest rivalries.
Songs about tragic historic events have overshadowed previous meetings between the clubs; United condemned "completely unacceptable" chants from a section of their fans about the Hillsborough disaster after a 4-0 defeat to the Reds at Anfield in April 2022.
Ahead of Sunday's game, Klopp and Ten Hag issued a joint statement urging supporters to stop ‘tragedy chanting’ about disasters like Hillsborough, Heysel and Munich.
“One of the main reasons why the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United is so special is that it is so intense and no-one should ever want to change this,” said Klopp. “But at the same time, when the rivalry becomes too intense it can go to places that are not good for anyone and we do not need this.
“We do want the noise; we do want the occasion to be partisan and we do want the atmosphere to be electric. What we do not want is anything that goes beyond this and this applies especially to the kind of chants that have no place in football.
“If we can keep the passion and lose the poison, it will be so much better for everyone.”
Ten Hag, who has led United to third place in the standings and won the League Cup in his first season at Old Trafford, echoed his Liverpool counterpart’s comments.
“The rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool is one of the greatest in world football. We all love the passion of the fans when our teams meet, but there are lines that should not be crossed,” said Ten Hag. It is unacceptable to use the loss of life - in relation to any tragedy - to score points, and it is time for it to stop. Those responsible tarnish not only the reputation of our clubs but also, importantly, the reputation of themselves, the fans and our great cities.
“On behalf of myself, our players, and our staff, we ask our fans to focus on supporting the team on Sunday, and representing our club in the right way.”
Ten points separate United in third from Liverpool in sixth ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash.
In 1989, 97 Liverpool fans lost their lives in the Hillsborough disaster, four years after 39 fans were killed at Heysel.
Manchester United's Munich disaster saw 23 people die when a flight carrying the team crashed in 1958.
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