Jurgen Klopp has accepted an apology Gary Neville never issued after the Sky Sports pundit praised Hannibal Mejbri.
Neville admitted he “aired on to the slightly unprofessional side of commentary” when hailing Manchester United teenager Mejbri for his tenacity as a second-half substitute in the crushing defeat to Liverpool.
“I was proud of him because he was going round trying to top people and trying to kick people,” Neville said, without saying sorry.
But Klopp magnanimously accepted the non-existent atonement regardless, saying: “He had to apologise for that, rightly so.
“I understand where he is coming from,” the German continued. “Obviously you want to see some aggression, but there is a difference between aggression and kicking players. Aggression in football means you are ready to hurt yourself, not the other one.
“I don’t blame the kid, he came on and the game was a bit quick, and he was a bit late here and there. It’s all good.
“Aggression in football is absolutely fine but you cannot sort your own problems by hurting the opposition players, that is what I have never understood. I have played 325 professional football games and without aggression and physicality I would have played none. It was my only strength that I had, so I am completely fine with that.
“But it’s about staying respectful, that’s all. Things can happen in football, it is a high-speed game but not these kinds of things where you don’t care about the other who wants to play again in a few days as well.”
Klopp was quick to deny his comments about “staying respectful” were a nod towards the upcoming Merseyside derby against Everton, whose robust challenges brought long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Alcantara last season.
“All of a sudden it will be like: ‘Klopp wants Everton to do this,”” he said. “No I don’t. We are ready for each kind of challenge, just keep it within the big frame of rules and everything will be…
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