- Klopp had claimed Ramos was “ruthless and brutal” after the final.
- The former Liverpool manager has renewed his criticism of Ramos six years later
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Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has questioned whether Sergio Ramos is a “good guy”, six years after the Real Madrid star injured Mohammed Salah in the Champions League final.
Liverpool and Real Madrid met in the final in kyiv in 2018, with the Spanish giants claiming a 2-1 victory over Klopp’s team.
One of the key moments of the final came in the first half, when Ramos injured Salah by pulling on his arm before both collapsed to the ground while fighting for the ball.
Star Salah left the field in tears after a shoulder injury that required surgery and gave Real the advantage in the tie.
Ramos would further anger Liverpool fans shortly after a corner collision with Loris Karius, who was later diagnosed with a concussion.
Jurgen Klopp hit Sergio Ramos, six years after he injured Mohammed Salah
Salah’s shoulder injury was a key moment in the 2018 Champions League final.
Former Liverpool boss Klopp has questioned whether Ramos is a “good guy” to Toni Kroos
That concussion caused the German to make two costly mistakes and Real Madrid won a historic third consecutive Champions League crown and 13th overall.
Klopp had branded Ramos “ruthless and brutal” after the final, accusing him of a fighting move against Salah.
The former Liverpool manager has doubled down on his criticism six years later, suggesting Ramos’ former Real Madrid teammate Toni Kroos would not have had him at his clubs.
“Is Mr. Sergio Ramos really a good guy?” Klopp said of Kroos. Einfach bad Lupen podcast.
He is not my favorite player. The action was brutal. Of course, he can’t know what’s bothering him with his shoulder, but we all know he accepted it very happily.
“I could never understand that mentality, I never had players like that and when I did, I made sure they left.”
Kroos responded to Klopp’s criticism by stating that Ramos was “a very good teammate”.
Klopp acknowledged Kroos’ opinion, before continuing his criticism of the former Real Madrid captain.
Salah was forced to leave the final and Real Madrid beat Klopp’s team.
Ramos also collided with Lloris Karius, on the left, and the shell-shocked goalkeeper made two key errors.
Ramos led Real Madrid to their 13th Champions League win against Liverpool in kyiv
Klopp missed the Champions League in 2018, but won the competition a year later
“He may not be my favorite player, but it doesn’t matter,” Klopp added.
“I always thought my centre-backs were good enough not to get involved in actions like that.”
Klopp and Salah would return to the Champions League final a year later in Madrid.
Salah scored the first goal in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham in the 2019 final.
The win was one of the highlights of Klopp’s time at Liverpool, which came to an end in the summer.
Klopp opted to step down as Liverpool manager, insisting he was “running out of energy”.
The 57-year-old has since been announced as Red Bull’s new global director of football.
Kroos insisted that Ramos was a “very good teammate” in the face of Klopp’s criticism
Klopp’s new role was confirmed earlier this month but has been a source of controversy.
Red Bull caused controversy in German football when the company took over SSV Markranstadt and turned the club into RB Leipzig.
Fans of his former clubs, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz, expressed their anger at Klopp’s move.
Klopp has since defended his decision, adding: “I love all my old clubs but I don’t know what I could have done to make everyone happy.”