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Sir Alex Ferguson Blames Jurgen Klopp For Liverpool's Europa League Final Loss

Sir Alex Ferguson Blames Jurgen Klopp For Liverpool's Europa League Final Loss

Sticks the boot in!

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

It's bad enough to lose a final, even worse when it's your fourth final defeat in a row, but what really takes the piss is someone making an official report on how it was all your fault. You can't help but feel sorry for Jurgen Klopp with Sir Alex Ferguson blaming the German for Liverpool's European defeat last season.

Liverpool failed to qualify for European football this season due to their league form but that somewhat fell away as they concentrated on a European final. If Liverpool had beaten Sevilla then they'd have qualified for the Champions League this season but it wasn't to be.

Klopp's side took the lead in the first half through Daniel Sturridge and despite failing to add to their lead they looked comfortable at half time. However the Reds fell apart in the second half with Kévin Gameiro scoring within seconds of the restart and Coke grabbing a brace in a 3-1 win.

In a UEFA coaches debate that looked into trends in European football Fergie blamed Klopp for the loss, with his tactics and high tempo blamed for a loss of energy:

"In the second half Liverpool had no energy, they could not get to the ball. The space in midfield became bigger. I never had a team who could press a ball all season."

The loss in the final meant that Klopp had lost his last four finals. He lost in the League Cup final to City earlier in the season and also lost in the German Cup final and Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund, his former club before Liverpool.

Fergie was unsurprisingly more complimentary about Barcelona's evolving style of play adding, "Where they had had a carousel of possession with no central striker they now have three excellent front strikers and play far more positively in terms of penetration. They're still looking for a different way of playing. I think that's been the big change, for me, in the last two years."

If Liverpool and Klopp needed any motivation this season then Fergie might have given them the shot in the arm that's needed.

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