Liverpool FC manager Jurgen Klopp described Notre Dame Stadium as “brilliant” tonight. His Reds began their preseason tour of the United States tonight with a 3-2 friendly defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund at The House that Knute Rockne Built. Over 43,000 battled the abnormally sweltering mid-July heat to watch the clash at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
Yesterday, when Klopp held his prematch news conference, he had seen Notre Dame’s college football facilities, but he hadn’t seen the stadium as of yet. His inability to say anything about it led to some news outlets misinterpreting his comments, and taking it out of context.
“Brilliant stadium, the whole facility is brilliant,” Jurgen Klopp said late Friday night.
“I don’t know why you ask this question? Does this place need commercial or what? I heard it was supposed to be sold out and stuff like that.”
It was the first ever soccer game at Notre Dame Stadium, but unfortunately, the playing surface was in less than optimal shape. Or at least Klopp thought so.
“Difficult, because it’s not a soccer pitch, they put grass on it and everybody tries his best but at the end you saw these two teams could play much better football, but it’s difficult when the ball is not rolling, because that’s an important part of the game that the ball rolls,” the German continued.
“So apart from that, I’m sure the stadium is sold out, it’s an incredible place, whoever didn’t know it, come to Notre Dame- brilliant, if you get a ticket because it is always sold out.”
Indeed Notre Dame Stadium is truly a cathedral of college football. At the conclusion of the news conference, a man somewhat resembling Klopp, who was dressed in all Liverpool gear asked the Reds boss for a hug- and he got one!
Klopp then concluded the media session by telling the gentleman, “you’re my fucking doppelganger.”
Video is below:
https://twitter.com/PaulMBanks/status/1152581484097736705
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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