If before facing Atlético in these last 16, Klopp was all smiles, congratulations to Atlético, Cholo, their game, their strength, then those froze, primal flattery turned to reproach. “I do not understand Atlético's game, but it is a fair winner,” he said as soon as he sat in the Press room, after Liverpool-Atlético in Anfield confirmed what had happened in the Wanda Metropolitano: that the rojiblancos could overthrow the current European champion, the team that had only lost two games before facing them in Madrid throughout the season, none at Anfield. But, perhaps, he underestimated Atlético, who lives an irregular season in LaLiga, and has paid for it. Graduated from the Champions League and with criticisms that intensify the coach like the one that fell on Anfield that night.
After the The Times who urged him in a publication that “instead of criticizing him, he should learn from him,” came Berbatov's (“Simeone must slip what Klopp says, he was wrong”) and now that of two more former soccer players. Dutchman Willem van Hanegem and Englishman Ray Parlor. “What Atlético did at Anfield was beautiful. Also, hadn't Liverpool got what they were fighting after going 2-0 with the Firmino goal? However, Atlético turned out to be able to turn it around. So it's your own fault. So stop crying and complaining and congratulate the Spanish“, declared the first harshly on the defeat network in the second round match in the newspaper AD.
More defense for Cholo
“Klopp's reflections amaze me. How do you think Atlético was going to play? They weren't going to play open football at Anfield when they had a 1-0 lead in the first leg, you have to calm down a bit. What did you expect them to do?Asked Parlor. “Away from home Simeone always put his teams like that, being very difficult to beat, put everyone behind the ball. It is normal“it ended.