A LOOK BACK: At the time Chelsea legend Frank Lampard lost his rag with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, but was defended by uncle and fellow former manager Harry Redknapp
Frank Lampard’s touchline bust-up with Jurgen Klopp is one of the more memorable moments from the era of lockdown football in empty stadiums.
At the time, the ex-England international was in charge of Chelsea and in July of 2020, took his Blues side to Anfield to take on Klopp’s Liverpool team who at that stage of the season had already been crowned Champions.
The two clashed on the touchline and tempers soon flared, with Lampard warning Klopp not to be “too arrogant”.
He also made clear that he felt a member of Klopp’s backroom staff had “crossed the line”. Having discussed the whole saga with the media come full-time, Lampard was the subject of criticism from the Liverpool boss for making the whole thing public.
“Frank was in competitive mood, I respect that,” Klopp declared. “Say what you want in that situation, pure emotion, he came to win. But what he has to learn is speaking about that after the game when the whistle has gone is not OK. Final whistle, as a real sportsperson… close the book and he didn’t do that and that is what I don’t like, honestly.”
His comments didn’t go down well with Lampard’s uncle and fellow Premier League icon Redknapp. The ex-Tottenham boss was quick to defend his nephew, who he felt did not need Klopp’s advice.
“Frank has been around professional football since he was a toddler,” Redknapp told The Sun. “He doesn’t need advice from anyone, although I’ve lots of respect for Klopp.
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Jurgen Klopp had a touchline bust-up with then-Chelsea boss Frank Lampard back in 2020
“Frank is very calm usually, he doesn’t tend to get involved in things like this. For him to react like that, it must have been something to really wind him up.” Soon after the heated exchange, Lampard expressed his regret over the clash and specifically the explicit language he used.
The Chelsea legend did go on to make clear what it was that sparked his fury, adding: “I could have handled it differently but some of the reports were I was upset with the celebrations. Far from it. They can celebrate like every goal.
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