Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac offered an apology to Jurgen Klopp at full-time of his side’s 0-0 draw at Anfield after forgetting to shake his opposite number’s hand.
The pair traded words at the final whistle after Kovac had left to congratulate his players for their performance before meeting with Klopp on the touchline.
All was evidently resolved moments later as both managers played down the incident in their respective post-match press conferences.
Speaking after the game, Kovac said, per Sky Sports: “We were on English soil. In Germany it is normal when games end you shake hands with your players.”
“In England, first the coaches shake hands. So I did what I did in Germany, said sorry and made up for it. And in Germany we will do it as we do it in Germany.”
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Liverpool’s Champions League Round of 16 contest remains finely-poised heading into the second leg at Munich, with the two sides cancelling each other out on Merseyside.
Klopp’s men were perhaps the architects of their own downfall in stages as they struggled to supply the clinical finishing that their chances deserved.
An unusual lack of conviction in the final third was aided by a stern display from a make-shift centre-back pairing of Joel Matip and Fabinho, who kept Robert Lewandowski quiet for much of the night.
It needed only a look at Bayern’s defensive setup and the attacking restrictions on full-backs Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba to recognise the respect Kovac had for Liverpool’s threat.