Klopp - If anyone thinks Roma will be easy opponents for Liverpool I cannot help them
Paul Joyce, Northern Football Correspondent
April 14 2018, 12:01am, The Times
JĂźrgen Klopp does not usually allow himself to be caught up in reflections of Liverpoolâs past but, at some point over the next ten days, he will settle down to watch two DVDs and indulge in a history lesson.
The backdrop will be the Stadio Olimpico in Rome for each, the first showreel dating from 1977 and the second chronicling 1984, with the ending gloriously familiar by the time he comes to press the stop button.
The Liverpool manager will brush up on how Borussia MĂśnchengladbach were vanquished 41 years ago for the first of the clubâs five European Cups and how, returning to the scene of that famous success seven years later, it was the hosts themselves, Roma, who were downed in the final.
As soon as Liverpool were paired with the Italians again in yesterdayâs draw for the semi-finals of the Champions League, the retracing of a passage in time synonymous with a rich European heritage became inevitable.
Klopp will take inspiration from the sight of Emlyn Hughes and Graeme Souness hoisting the trophy to the heavens, yet ultimately it will re-emphasise that it is time for a new chapter to be penned by his team as they endeavour to remain on course for another final in Kiev on May 26.
âI will watch them for sure because it is destiny or whatever,â Klopp said. âIf any German goes to Bern in Switzerland he cannot avoid thinking about 1954 [when Germany won the World Cup].
âThere are not a lot of people around on the planet from that time now but it is just a special place. You think, âOK, it happened here, well done, all these guys.â Of course, if I find something that helped make this place even more remarkable or special for Liverpool, then I will use it.
âThank God Rome is still Rome. It is the place, it is not who did what, itâs the place. I love our history but it is not allowed to compare us constantly. Those teams were great but they became great in these situations and now people say, âThey did it like this.â
âI had a very famous German national player who was the coach of a second division team when I was in the second division. He did a shooting session and the boys were kind of my level, so not too good. This guy took the ball and scored five times and said, âLook it is not that difficult.â
âThe boys were standing around and thinking now we know you can do it but we still have no clue. It is good to have role models, but in the end you have to do it your own way.â
Klopp was in the canteen at Melwood â Simon Mignolet was the only player around at the time â when the draw at Uefaâs headquarters in Nyon took place. The holders, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich were paired first in the other tie, but his gut reaction was not to perform a cartwheel.
Liverpool, fresh from the thrill of their 5-1 quarter-final success over Manchester City, will find favouritism now lies with them. Furthermore, both Real and Bayern would have felt obliged to perform on the front foot, raising the prospect of being more susceptible to Liverpoolâs counterattacking.
Roma will not be so naive, especially in the first leg at Anfield on Tuesday, April 24. They have not conceded a goal at home in the competition this season, so having the second leg in Italy on May 2 may favour Eusebio Di Francescoâs team.
Their route to the last four has been hard-fought, but the pedigree of Di Francescoâs side cannot be dismissed, having emerged from a group containing Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, with whom they drew 3-3 at Stamford Bridge and beat 3-0 in the return.
That is even before the quarter-final victory over Barcelona is considered, Roma overcoming a 4-1 first-leg deficit to win 3-0 and proceed on away goals.
âIt was not that I thought, âThank God not Bayern, thank God not Real Madrid, yippee Romaâ or the other way around,â Klopp said.
âIf anybody thinks this is the easiest draw, then I cannot help this person; they obviously didnât see both games against Barcelona. In the first result, the 4-1, it was not like the game was â it was [Lionel] Messi genius against a good side of Roma. The second leg was outstanding. It was outstanding what they did.â
Liverpool, who will today mark the 29th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy with a minuteâs applause before the Premier League game at home to Bournemouth, are also brimming with self-belief â from players and former players to supporters.
âI think the relationship between us and the supporters was always good, but the belief from both sides has reached the next level and that is all credit to the boys because of the things that they did,â Klopp said.
âIf the legends we all love are around and they are clapping it is because they like this. Kenny Dalglish is over the moon and completely on fire. Steven Gerrard, and all the other guys in between, you can feel it and see it. Thatâs cool.â
The subplot sees Mohamed Salah return to his former club for the first time since last summerâs ÂŁ39.6million move to Anfield, while Liverpoolâs interest in Romaâs Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker has cooled, partly because of price but also because of the form of Loris Karius.
Salah scored 34 goals in 83 appearances during two seasons in Rome and has found the net 39 times in 44 games for Liverpool, highlighting his importance.
âWhen we came out for the Champions League training before Man City, I said, âCome on everybody, letâs go out naked because no one will realise â they are just looking at Mo,â â Klopp said, smiling. âMo is so thankful. Now we go to Rome I donât think the hype will be a little bit less.â
Liverpoolâs history ensures it cannot be any other way.
The Times
