Jurgen Klopp responds to Mohamed Salah's emotional reaction to Liverpool missing out on Champions League

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has issued a response to Mohamed Salah following his emotion-fuelled social media statement.

“We are Liverpool and qualifying to the competition is the bare minimum.”

He added: “I am sorry but it’s too soon for an uplifting or optimistic post. We let you and ourselves down.”

Reacting to the post, the 55-year-old manager told reporters: “I read it. I’m worried about the headlines I’ll create with the things I say.

“After the last game when it was clear [Manchester United and Newcastle United] needed a point, I knew they would get it.

“I drew a line. I’m an optimistic person but at that moment I couldn’t see it.

"If it would have happened we would have gone for it.

Klopp then stated: “In the world of social media, so many bad things happen but [the tweet] that wasn’t one of them.

“It was a normal description of his situation,” he continued. “I just saw him in the canteen and he is smiling; I didn’t ask him why, but that is his mood.”

The 2023/24 campaign will be the first time Liverpool won't play in the Champions League since the 2016/17 season.

Elsewhere in the press conference, Klopp said he’s unsure whether a failure to qualify for the Champions League will impact his summer transfer window.

He stated: “I don’t think [lack of Champions League will have an impact] but you never know.

“It is always possible and probably likely that things won’t go as big as you want because the better the player, the less the desire of the club is to let him go. We are prepared for that.”