Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp insists he isn’t bother by Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce calling him a “soft German” after the Reds’ win at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night.
Klopp was angered by Jeremain Lens’ late challenge on Mamadou Sakho in the second half of his side’s 1-0 win, and felt that the Dutchman should have been sent off.
That prompted Allardyce to brand him a “soft German” after there was an angry exchange between the two benches, but Klopp has played the incident down.
“It’s not a problem,” said Klopp. “A lot of people have said worse things about me. It’s not the first time.
“If you see the situation again then you know that I was not too wrong.”
Sakho was able to continue after treatment, and finished the game. Lens only received a booking.
“So Mama is alive and everything is OK. That’s all I want to say. But I had no arguments with the bench at Sunderland.”
Liverpool are five points from a top four spot and currently reside seventh in the table. They next face West Ham at Upton Park on Saturday, with the former Borussia Dortmund boss revealing he turned down the chance to manage the Hammers in the summer.
“In the summer, I was not available. I’m sure I should say not too much about this,” said Klopp.
“I’m lucky I had a lot of interest. West Ham is a good club but it was the wrong time, like all the clubs who approached me.
“Everything is OK. The Hammers. More my second name than ‘soft’.”
