The latest Liverpool news as former boss Jurgen Klopp makes an apology as a current Reds fan favourite is called out by a legend of the game
Jurgen Klopp apologised to a former Liverpool star after failing to sign him for Borussia Dortmund(Image: PA)
Liverpool are back in action on Saturday as the defending Premier League champions take on Nottingham Forest at Anfield. The Reds were sent packing into the two-week international with their tails tucked between their legs after being thrashed 3-0 by Manchester City.
Before that game Liverpool had won back-to-back fixtures against Aston Villa and Real Madrid. They keept clean sheets in both as Slot’s team looked back to their formidable best.
The double boost had given fans hope that the Reds had overcome a poor run of form that saw their Premier League title defence all but fall apart after they lost four Premier League games on the spin.
Yet Arne Slot’s side now find themselves eighth in the table after the City setback and in dire need of points. With a former Liverpool star opening up on his relationship with ex-boss Jurgen Klopp and a current Liverpool favourite butting heads with his national team coach, Mirror Football takes a look at the latest news from Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s apology
Ex-Liverpool star Sadio Mane has revealed that Jurgen Klopp apologised to him after he failed to sign him for Borussia Dortmund.
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Mane moved from Southampton to Liverpool in 2016 and enjoyed an illustrious eight-year stint at Anfield. Klopp was at the reins of Dortmund in 2014 when he spotted Mane, who was thriving with Red Bull Salzburg at the time.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Mane said: “I met Klopp. He wanted to bring me to Dortmund, but it didn’t work out.”
After Klopp joined Liverpool he contacted Mane over a move to the Reds. The Senegalese icon added: “Klopp called me. First of all, I say, ‘Coach…’ He said, ‘How are you? It was my fault, you didn’t come to Dortmund. Because, you know, I wanted to come there. I met him first. I was not happy.’
Sadio Mane has revealed Jurgen Klopp apologised to him(Image: Rio Ferdinand Presents / YouTube)
“And he apologised for this. And he said, ‘We will build the team no one wants to play against. And then, if we grow up together, you will play every game.’
“So when he was in Liverpool, and I was also making my way, I go to Southampton. And that was, ‘OK, we meet again.’
On Klopp’s charm offensive that brought him to Anfield, he said: “He [Klopp] called me. He said, ‘Listen, it didn’t work out. It was my fault. So what do you think? We work again or?’
“And then I go to meet [Mauricio] Pochettino [at Tottenham]. I say, ‘OK, so make sure you agree with my agent, everything. I will come to Tottenham.’ And I come back home, three days after, Klopp called me. I say, ‘This is my Klopp. This is the right…this is what I want.'”
Mane scored 120 goals and 46 assists for the Reds from 269 appearances across all competitions, clinching a Premier League title, an FA Cup, a League Cup and the Champions League at Anfield.
Chiesa ‘problem’ emerges
Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso has claimed Federico Chiesa ‘has a problem’ after blaming the Liverpool forward for his ongoing absence from the Italy squad.
The 28-year-old has not represented his country since their European Championships round-of-16 exit against Switzerland back in June 2024. While Chiesa struggled for game time at the Reds in his debut season last year, he has featured regularly in the current campaign, returning two goals and three assists.
Gattuso has wanted to recall Chiesa to the Italy squad following his appointment at national manager back in June. However, the Reds star resisted call-ups ahead of the September, October and November international breaks.
Federico Chiesa hasn’t played for Italy since June 2024(Image: AP)
“You know it well. You know Chiesa’s problem,” Gattuso told Sky Sports Italia. “You always ask me the same thing. I call Chiesa in every call-up; I always talk to him.
“The problem is not Gattuso or his staff; he has a problem, not us. You know it well. You always ask the same thing, and I always answer the same.”
Calls for Chiesa to return to the fold are growing. Italian World Cup winner Francesco Graziani insisted that the Azzurri need Chiesa back in order to give them the best chance of qualifying for next summer’s World Cup.
“We will qualify for the World Cup, but in this team, there are no champions,” the 1982 World Cup told Tuttosport. “Even though it’s made of excellent players, we are missing world-class talents such as [Alessandro] Del Piero or [Francesco] Totti. Chiesa absolutely needs to be recovered.”
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