Europa LeagueRead Jürgen Klopp's pre-Union SG press conference

Read a summary of what the boss had to say prior to the matchday two clash with the Belgian side tomorrow evening…

Jürgen, of course, everyone is talking about what happened on Saturday. Everyone conducted themselves, including yourself, with dignity on the day. Now that you've listened to the audio, you've seen exactly what happened, how is everyone feeling about Saturday?

The audio didn't change it at all because I was not really interested in that why things happened because I saw the outcome, I saw a goal we scored and it didn't count. So I was now not waiting for the audio and then sitting there and hoping I find out how it could happen or whatever. What I want to say is it's really important that, as big as football is and as important as football is for us at least, that we really deal with it in a proper way. And I mean that all the people involved – on-field ref, linesmen, fourth official and especially now in this case VAR – they didn't do that on purpose and we should not forget that. Yes, it was a mistake, an obvious mistake and I think there would have been solutions for it afterwards. And I can say immediately, even probably some people don't want me to say, but not as the manager of Liverpool so much, more as a football person, I think the outcome should be a replay. That's how it is, probably will not happen.

The argument against that will probably be if we open that gate then everybody will ask for it. I think the situation is that unprecedented, that it didn't happen before in that moment, and I'm 56 years old and 50 years in football and I'm absolutely used to – I don't deal always well with it – but I'm used to wrong decisions, difficult decisions, bah, bah, bah, all these kind of things. But something like that, as far as I can remember, never happened. That's why I think a replay would be [the] right thing.

And against the argument would be if it would happen again, I think a replay would be the right thing to do or the ref has the opportunity to bring both coaches together and say, 'Sorry, we made a mistake but we can sort it. That Liverpool score a goal and we start from there.' In a specific game, what makes it more special then obviously is that we conceded two minutes after we scored a regular goal. And how all things depend on each other, if the goal would have counted, the game would have started in the centre of the pitch and not where it started and all these kind of things. It would've been different. So that's one thing and that's my view on it.

I'm not angry with anybody of them or whatever, not at all, and I really think it's not only the respect but the only thing for human beings in general [is] that you should not go for them really. It's not allowed to go for them in no way. They made a mistake and they felt horrible that night, I'm 100 per cent sure, and that's enough for me. So nobody needs further punishment or whatever.

And I think we should just discuss it on a completely normal basis without emotions. I'm not angry. I could discuss it but it's not my job. I'm here to prepare a game, a super-important and super-difficult game against Union Saint-Gilloise and that's much more important. But because I understand that you ask the question and you want to have answers for that, what I thought what made this day really difficult for us is all the other decisions because there's another thing, we talk about the process now of VAR and that's how they talk to each other. But in this game there was another situation when Curtis Jones got a red card and I stick to the opinion that it's not a red card.

The ref got called to the screen and saw for the first three seconds a frozen picture, and I would give immediately a red card for that picture. Then he sees the replay in slow motion, and I would have given a red card for the slow motion. But in real time it's not a red card. And then you go for it and you appeal it and the FA panel says, 'No, it's not a clear and obvious mistake.' And I think it is. The ref's first decision was yellow, so then the clear and obvious mistake is showing a frozen picture and the slow motion. That's it. So there are obviously a lot of things and we will not get now Curtis back for playing. That's how it is. Fine. On top of that, Diogo Jota got two yellow cards for not touching a player once. That's unprecedented as well, I would say. But that's all fine.

We can take a lot out of this game and took a lot out of this game. I saw a wonderful team fighting against all odds in an incredible fair way, don't know how it happened in the end that we had eight cards altogether, strange one. But that's it. So that's what we take out of it. It's not that we stand here with empty hands and didn't get anything. We didn't get points – that's true – but all the rest we can use and that's what we will do. But not out of a position with anger and these kind of things. That's not the mood we are in.

Your teams are always known for their spirit but after what happened on Saturday, the way your team performed actually, especially with 10 and then nine. How much more spirit does that give everyone going forward?

Yeah, yeah, of course. We will see. That's what we have to prove. How I said, a defeat is only a real defeat if you don't learn or if you don't take anything [out] of it. We can take a lot out of it. But we will see how to use that. That's it. But again, we had a good spirit before that, I didn't need any kind of proof. But it's how it is in football, you need to prove yourself all the time and that's what we did again. It was really good, really, really special, top mentality, all these kind of things. And that's what we need tomorrow night as well because we face a team who is flying in the league, is obviously top of the table and is doing really, really well again after losing key players, doing well again, unbeaten in Europe away for a long time. Super-special what they are doing there and we have to be ready.

Lots of reasons to look forward to this game. We have got the opportunity of a footballing rarity with Alexis Mac Allister playing against his brother. Has Alexis been more revved up for this game, or been talking about it more, because of this unusual situation? Has he been able to give you any insight as to Union SG?

Yeah about his brother and their father is here, obviously family is here. A big moment for him, definitely, I am pretty sure. They have another brother I think who is playing as well professional football. Cousins playing professional football. The father was a professional player, uncle was a professional football player. I think it is not the first time that family members [are] on the football pitch, I would be really surprised, but yes, it is special. I saw a little thing when they spoke to each other. Brothers love each other but have still fights from time to time, or at least how I learned it when I was young. I didn't have a brother, but two sisters and that was bad enough! I think it is a special, nice side story but probably, hopefully, not the main story of the game afterwards.

Do you accept it is probably going to be seen by the football authorities as very impractical and impossible to replay that game against Spurs? And you can probably appreciate their argument would be any team that has a decision that affects the result that is incorrect would probably want the same going forward?

Yes, yes, yes, I have to accept everything. I think it is really that unprecedented that parts of the refereeing team said goal, that's really rare and it doesn't show up on the screen, on the scoresheet, and the game continued with a free-kick. That makes it really different, I think. It is about what is the possible outcome. Again, in our position, it's completely normal that we have to accept what we get told, so we can be as angry as we want or not, we have to accept what we get told. So, we say something about referees, which is not helpful but out of emotion and not a general opinion or whatever, and it's just you can't do that and [a] fine. That's the world, the planet, we are living on. I'm not interested in that. If I say something that is not right they fine me and I pay it and then it's good.

I'm interested in how we can improve the things. If the only solution for a problem like this is... it will not happen next week, definitely not, it will now take really long. Everyone will make sure, 'You are happy as well? You are happy as well? Sorry, are you happy as well?' They will call at home probably and ask, 'Is it really a goal?' and then we get it in the stadium. That is a completely normal human reaction. I get that. Nobody wants to make these kind of mistakes and wants to be in the middle of all attention for the wrong reasons for that long time. That's why I said, we have just to talk about it completely calm because it is over and emotions are out, game is finished, what could be the possible outcome? And not trying to put it right because of something what could happen in the future. I think if that would happen again, I would say replay. Fine. Play it again. Or, much better – much, much better – than a replay, sort it in that moment just with common sense. Then you don't have that problem anymore. Maybe it happens in 10 years again and then they can say, 'Yes, last time we had to organise a replay, now we can do it like that. Look at that, what a wonderful solution.' That would be a big improvement, but we will see.

Last season you spoke a lot about going through tough times and everything, stick together, deal with the situations in the right manner, good things will come of it ultimately in the end. Do you feel long term with this situation, you've talked about everybody concerned in it – including the VAR, match officials and everything else – that good will come out of it?

I'm not sure I understand the question 100 per cent. For us? What we take of it? Or what the refs take of it?

No, just because you've been applauded for the way you've handled the situation yourself, straight after the match. The way you speak about it. And ultimately some things could change because of it going forward in the future, the way that maybe VAR is operated…

From my point of view, it's just like this: if you face a situation [for the] first time, you try to understand it, why it happened. When you figure that out you try to work on solutions. I know everybody is doing that but that doesn't sort the actual problem because there are still points at stake, so how could we sort it? But not only for the future but still that situation. That's just how I understand it. You try it, that's what you have to do, you have to try to sort the situation and that's why I say for me a replay would be the right decision. That's fine.

If that happens or not is not even close to my hands and I don't care, it's just my opinion. And then, of course, how the refs said now, or Howard Webb said, the process will be better, all these kind of things, and it's good. Of course that's very good and that would be a really good outcome. But that doesn't change that something already happened and what's the solution for that by the way? I think just us saying, 'OK, yeah, got it, there was a penalty situation not given against us or for us in the past and we didn't get a replay, that's why we cannot do that', that's a completely different situation. That goal was scored, was legal, fact, and then in the end it didn't count. That makes no sense. So that's it.

Yeah, good, definitely it will improve, that's clear and it's good. For us it's much more important, how I said before… I was really proud of the team, how they dealt with it and the team felt pretty good about it as well, and that's what we have to use. But it's a completely different game tomorrow night and I hope our people show the well-deserved love after having a really tough weekend tomorrow night and make it a super-special atmosphere. Actually I'm pretty sure they do anyway, they would have done it if we would have won the game. Now we didn't win it, even more important it is. I'm really looking forward to a European night at Anfield and that's good.