Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes racist behaviour in football should be punished but that the perpetrators do not deserve the attention they are given.
The Reds boss also praised Raheem Sterling for his response after being subjected to alleged abuse during Saturday’s Premier League defeat at Chelsea.
“I thought his reaction was just brilliant. You saw his face. He gave the right response, not to react for these people,” said Klopp, whose own player Rhian Brewster was subjected to racist abuse in the UEFA Youth League last season.
? – “I thought his reaction was brilliant.”@LFC manager Jurgen Klopp says the people who racially abused Raheem Sterling do not deserve to be spoken about but should be punished. He also praised the way the @ManCity forward dealt with the situation. pic.twitter.com/25jJbsXPa0
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 10, 2018
“They don’t deserve any reaction, they don’t deserve any respect.
“I am obviously not surprised that things like this still happen but I like the fact that we put the finger on it and say ‘You cannot say what you want, it is not possible’.
“As long as people are silly enough to do this, they need to be punished for it, that is how it is.
Some @ChelseaFC fans are so vile. These #racists should be banned for life! Even when there are black players at their club too? Grossly unfair on Raheem Sterling @premierleague @FA pic.twitter.com/PEQfRKbNHu
— 🇳🇬 awöniran taiwö🎈 (@tee_theguy) December 9, 2018
“I am sure 95 per cent of people or more are not like this so we should try to find the right amount of attention for these people.
“Yes, punish them but do not talk too much about them because they do not deserve that we talk about them.”