Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has taken a swipe at Sergio Ramos when discussing the ex-Real Madrid star on a podcast with Toni Kroos.
Klopp questioned if Ramos was really a “good guy” while reflecting on his challenge on Mohamed Salah during the 2018 Champion League final.
Salah left the field in tears with a shoulder injury early in the first half after a collision with Ramos. He was also involved in a clash with goalkeeper Loris Karius that left the Liverpool goalkeeper concussed and saw him make two fatal errors as Madrid won the final 3-1.
Speaking on Kroos’ “Einfach mal Lupen” podcast, Klopp said: “Is Mr. Sergio Ramos really a good guy? He’s not my favourite player. The action was brutal. Of course, he can’t know that it’s bothering his shoulder, but we all know that he accepted it very happily.
“I could never understand that mentality, I never had players like that and, when I did, I made sure they left.”
Kroos defended Ramos, saying he was a “very good teammate,” before Klopp added: “He may not be my favourite player, but it doesn’t matter.
“I always thought that my centre-backs were good enough not to be involved in actions like that.”
Klopp, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2019, left the club last season, before taking up a position as head of global soccer at Red Bull in October.