Jurgen Klopp had a message for Liverpool fans after he heard his name being sung at Anfield when his side were 3-0 up against Tottenham. Anfield is known for its atmosphere, and Liverpool supporters have long shown their love for the club by singing about their players and managers. One chant that became popular last season was to the tune of ‘I Feel Fine’ by The Beatles, and included adapted lyrics to celebrate the Liverpool boss. After the Reds’ 4-3 win against Tottenham, though, Klopp asked supporters not to sing his name during the match. The boss explained: “At 3-0, it was not the result for a sensational atmosphere. Pretty much everyone misunderstood it, everybody.” Klopp complimented the supporters’ songs and said that he loves “all of them,” but added: “My song, don’t sing it. If you want to sing it, sing it after the game in the bar, wherever. Because it’s almost like we’re closing the game, we are 3-0 up [after 15 minutes] and they start ‘I’m so glad Jurgen is a Red’ and I thought: ‘It’s not over’. So, it would be really nice if you could leave that for later.”
It is not a new message from Klopp. Even at the beginning of his tenure, when Liverpool supporters would sing the German’s name to the tune of ‘Live is Life’ by Opus, the manager asked fans to stop chanting his name during matches. After a win against Leicester in 2016, Klopp told supporters: “Please don’t sing my name before the game is decided. It’s nice, but it’s not necessary. It would be really nice if you could stop, please!”
After Sunday’s win, Klopp went up to the Kop and produced his trademark fist-pumps to the crowd – something we haven’t seen many times this season. We’re not sure supporters will completely abide by Klopp’s request, but there may be less of a party mood inside Anfield next time Liverpool race into an early lead. Jurgen Klopp has been vocal about his desire for Liverpool fans to refrain from singing his name during matches, even though they have long shown their love for him through adapted lyrics to popular songs. He has asked that they wait until after the game has been decided before celebrating him in such a way. While it remains to be seen whether or not supporters will heed his request, it is clear that Klopp appreciates their support and enthusiasm for him and his team.