Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag urge Man United and Liverpool fans to avoid tragedy chanting this weekend after FA Cup clash was marred by unsavoury songs… as the Reds boss tells supporters to ‘show a bit of class’

Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag have asked Liverpool and Manchester United fans to refrain from chanting songs of tragedy ahead of Sunday’s clash between the two clubs.

Greater Manchester Police made eight arrests after United’s 4-3 FA Cup victory last month, with many on the ground singing about Hillsborough and Heysel. A Liverpool fan was also filmed gesturing with the plane in reference to the Munich air disaster.

But now Klopp has asked fans of both clubs to enjoy the match without tragic chants, which recently became a breach of public order. “I just look at it this way, two of the biggest clubs in the world, let’s show a bit of class right now,” the German said.

“So don’t sing this or that, just show class, fight on the field, let’s just play football, if you want to be happy, if you lose, whatever, but on top of all that just show a little bit of class. That It would really be my wish for all of us.’

Both clubs have come together in recent weeks to educate young children about the issue, with former players Wes Brown and Phil Thompson attending an event in Huyton which brought together schoolchildren from Manchester and Liverpool.

Last month’s FA Cup clash between the sides was marred by offensive chanting, and eight fans were arrested afterwards.

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“It’s very important, there are different aspects, but one aspect is that, honestly, I don’t listen to it when I’m on the sidelines,” Klopp added. “But they tell me it happens and that’s obviously not good.

“But in general it’s helpful for us to educate our children on specific things: respect, understanding, all those kinds of things.”

Last month, the United and Liverpool foundations teamed up to launch an educational program in partnership with the Premier League aimed at eradicating the problem for good, and Ten Hag issued his own petition ahead of Sunday’s game.

“The atmosphere our fans generated was incredible that afternoon, and if we can produce the same levels of noise at Old Trafford then we will have seen what a positive force it can be and the impact it has on the players,” the United manager said. . .

“As such, it is part of my duty to remind all fans lucky enough to be at the game to enjoy it properly and not use it as an excuse to abuse opposing fans about Hillsborough, Heysel or any other tragedy. historical…

Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown (left) and former Liverpool captain Phil Thompson (right) spoke about the impact the Hillsborough and Munich disasters had on a recent initiative.

“This is one of the truly great rivalries in world sport, for many right reasons, and it is our responsibility to keep it that way. Whether the clubs meet at Old Trafford or Anfield, all fans must focus completely on supporting their team and both Jurgen and I are confident that we can count on that to happen.

Liverpool hope to have midfielder Wataru Endo back in the squad when they travel to Old Trafford for the second time in a month. The Reds also released returning players Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson in Thursday’s win over Sheffield United.

Klopp added that he will not miss playing at Old Trafford. ‘Will I miss these games? No, I had them quite often,’ he said. ‘What a manager I would be if I said I would miss United or City games and all the others I won’t! No.

“I’ll probably miss them all, but we’ll see how I deal with missing football.”