Ex-Liverpool man claims Mane failed his ‘duty’ in Klopp snub

Joe Williams
Jurgen Klopp Sadio Mane Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp Sadio Mane Liverpool

Peter Crouch thinks Sadio Mane failed in his “duty to keep a lid” on his emotions by snubbing a handshake from Jurgen Klopp when Liverpool played Manchester United last week.

Mane started on the bench for the Reds’ 4-2 win over United at Old Trafford last Thursday.

It was a huge victory in the race for the top four, with a brace from Roberto Firmino and goals from Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota taking Liverpool towards the top four, while that was strengthened again on Sunday as they beat West Brom 2-1 thanks to Alisson’s winner.


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But Mane was not happy at the end of the game against the Red Devils, refusing Klopp’s outstretched hand as he headed for the tunnel having been left on the bench until the 74th minute.

And Crouch thinks the Liverpool star should’ve made his opinion clear when they got back to the dressing room instead of on the pitch.

When asked about Mane’s decision to snub Klopp, Crouch wrote in a Q&A for the Daily Mail: “I think he did. There is a time and place for venting your feelings to your manager and the halfway line at Old Trafford at the final whistle, as a visiting player, is not the place or the time!

“You have a duty to keep a lid on your emotions when the cameras are rolling. When you get into the dressing room or back to the training ground, that is when you have your say.

“I’ve seen plenty of examples of that happening and they are a daily occurrence up and down the country.

“Klopp knows how to manage situations and he showed there was no lingering animosity by picking Mane at West Brom.

“Mane’s performance was better, too. He has had a disappointing season but is too good not to make an impact.”

Klopp took the incident in his stride and said he was “completely relaxed” about the incident with Mane.

“I cannot make a bigger story of it as it is. Football is an emotional game and everyone expects from us to control our emotions always but it doesn’t work out always, that’s the case,” said Klopp

“It happened to me as a player, it happened to other players when I was their coach.

“We had so far no real chance to talk about it but we will and there will be nothing left. Everything will be fine.

“Do you want these things to happen? No. But it’s not the first time in my life and I’m afraid to say it won’t be the last time.

“Even when I speak about that already I can see the headlines but that’s not the case. I am completely relaxed about that.”