Liverpool's dreams of winning the quadruple last season were shattered on the final day, as Man City claimed the top spot. Their hopes of winning three trophies then came crashing down, after their 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday.
After the game, Jurgen Klopp was understandably unhappy with the outcome of the clash and made his feelings clear, in his post match press conference. "They scored a goal, we didn’t, that’s the easiest explanation in the world of football and it’s hard, harsh to get anyway, [but we] respect that of course," he admitted.
"I think Madrid had one shot on target, is that right? And that was a goal. But, look, I understand 100 per cent and I respect 100 per cent the reason for playing football and having these kinds of competitions is to win the game, and whatever you do – as long as it’s in the rules – it’s allowed and you can do it. It’s completely fine.
READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp comment about Real Madrid in Liverpool Champions League final familiar to Tottenham
"We had to defend as well in moments, just that we blocked the shots or whatever. We played a good game, but when you lose 1-0 you have to admit it was then not good enough," he added.
However, it was the 54-year-old's man of the match admission that will have left Tottenham fans questioning his comments. Thibaut Courtois played an outstanding game, making countless crucial saves and his performance deservedly earned him the man of the match award.
This was a decision that clearly annoyed Klopp. "When the goalkeeper is man of the match then something is going wrong for the other team," the Liverpool boss said. "We had I think three really big chances where [Thibaut] Courtois made incredible saves. I would have loved to have had a few more of this calibre."
What Klopp might have forgotten is what happened when Liverpool beat Tottenham in the Champions League final just three years earlier. Spurs' 2-0 defeat in Madrid shattered their hopes of ending their silverware drought, with an early Mohamed Salah penalty and a late Divock Origi goal earning the Reds the title.
However, Tottenham dominated proceedings after the Salah goal but just could not find a way past Alisson Becker and the Liverpool defence. Virgil van Dijk was handed the official man of the match award by UEFA, but various unofficial outlets named keeper Alisson Becker as the man of the match, including Sky Sports and our friends at the Liverpool Echo. The Liverpool goalkeeper was awarded this for his solid display and there were no complaints from Klopp then, but when it's his team on the losing side, it's a different story.
Courtois deserved the award for his performance on Saturday and the 54-year-old's problem was his side weren't able to get a ball in the back of the Belgian's net. Klopp's comments clearly indicated his high emotions after the defeat but hopefully someone has now reminded him of the time his goalkeeper was named as man of the match by many, after the Champions League final against Tottenham and the lack of complaints that evoked.
