Klopp Defends Neymar's World Cup Diving As A 'Completely Normal Reaction'

There's no doubt that Neymar is one of the most polarising players in football. Tipped by many to be Brazil's biggest star since the days of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho -- we're talking about when they were in their prime, of course -- Neymar hits the headlines every time when he pulls out his theatrics.

While his diving fazes a lot of people, Jürgen Klopp is one of those that isn't as critical about it.

Ahead of Liverpool's clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League, the former Borussia Dortmund manager spoke at his pre-match press conference about Neymar's actions at the World Cup.

"I don't know exactly what you are talking about," he said.

"I saw a few games at the World Cup when it looked like he made a bit more of the situation. That's a completely normal reaction because players are really going for him. That's the truth.

"He has to protect himself. If the opponent gets a yellow card, he is closer to a red card. It is smart."

You might think that it could come back to haunt Klopp if Neymar pulls a fast one on his side in their opening match of the Champions League.

However, the Liverpool manager said that the Brazilian winger won't find himself on the receiving end of a hard time from his players.

"We don't go for him against us," he explained. "We want to play football. We want to win the ball. We don't try to act on these type of things.

"We try to avoid passes to him. It's a big job. I don't know if it's possible to avoid his quality. I'm pretty sure it's not.

"He's an outstanding player. He was not fit at the World Cup. He tried to play for his country without being fit.

"I don't think he's a person who wants to act because if you do that you cannot play the football he plays.

"He got rested at the weekend, so he'll be 100 per cent fresh. He won't be injured. We'll see the full package, the football package, and we have to cope with that."

Liverpool will be at home when they host the reigning Ligue 1 champions tomorrow.

What did you make of Klopp's comments?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Football News, Football, Neymar, Jurgen Klopp

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

@AdnanRiaz9