It was a shock for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to see Roma’s name in the Champions League semi-final pot, although he insisted he is not surprised by their quality.
The Giallorossi pulled off one of the most stunning Champions League comebacks of all time when they fought back from a 4-1 first leg deficit to overcome Barcelona at the Stadio Olimpico.
Klopp does see some similarities between the two underdog clubs but revealed that he is an admirer of Serie A and has been impressed by Tuesday’s opposition this season.
“I guess a lot of people thought when they saw the draw that it would be Barcelona v Manchester City in the semi-final but both these teams deserve to be here,” Klopp told reporters.
“When someone told me Roma had beaten Barcelona 3-0, I thought it wasn’t possible. Maybe our situations are similar because we’re both big clubs in leagues that have big challenges and competition.
“We both have a chance to reach the final and that’s pressure but it is possible for us to do it so that’s nice. Let’s try everything we can to do that and if people think that we are underdogs then who cares?
“I watch quite a lot of Italian football so I’m not surprised by Roma. I remember Edin Dzeko well from Germany too. They have a lot of quality in their team. They have a full squad and everyone looks settled, fit and experienced and for them, like us, a semi-final is a big thing.”
One of the game’s big storylines and talking points is Mohamed Salah taking on his former club, with the German tactician joking that he can’t expect a friendly reunion.
“It’s pretty normal because players changes clubs and coaches change clubs a lot. It is quite special though because he knows a lot more about them than usual,” Klopp added.
“He knows all about them and I am sure he has been following their season. He became the player we have now in Rome, they were all part of his development. We are all professionals though and I’m sure Italian defenders are famous for not having friendly games!”
