Chelsea are the second team to face Liverpool since Jurgen Klopp announced his departure. Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea’s coach, respects Klopp but wants Chelsea to give their everything in the match against Liverpool. Pochettino hopes to win the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool next month. Tomorrow’s game serves as a preview for the final.
Mauricio Pochettino on the match against Liverpool
Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea wants to ruin the fun as Jurgen Klopp’s end as Liverpool comes near. Chelsea plays against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday, the first home game for Liverpool since Klopp said he’s leaving. Pochettino told the reporters on Tuesday that Chelsea doesn’t want to be part of the celebration. They aim to win the game and climb higher in the standings.
“It’s a special game for him. Until the end, it’s going to be special always. Every time they play at Anfield, it’s going to be a party always, to celebrate, and to give him all the love they feel, the fans feel for him and I think it’s deserved,” Pochettino said via 90min.
“But we are thinking we need to go there and win the game. Sorry, but we don’t want to be involved or be part of the celebration. We want to perform well and win the game,” he added.
“We beat teams like Brighton [third round] and Newcastle [quarter-finals] and we arrived in the final because we really deserved it. But no one said anything. And then Liverpool arrived in the final and it’s a massive celebration. But for Chelsea, it’s like ‘OK, it’s not a big thing’. That is really unfair,” he further added.
Pochettino: "We beat teams like Brighton [third round] and Newcastle [quarter-finals] and we arrived in the final because we really deserved it. But no one said anything.
“And then Liverpool arrived in the final and it's a massive celebration. But for Chelsea, it's like 'OK,…
— Simon Phillips (@siphillipssport) January 31, 2024
Chelsea are currently are 10th place in the Premier League. If they win, they can go up to 7th place. If they tie with Liverpool, they will still move up a bit to 8th place on the table.
Last week, Mauricio Pochettino talked about Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool, saying it was unexpected. The Chelsea coach mentioned that he would feel the absence of the German in the league. Pochettino also remembered the text he received from Klopp when he was fired from Tottenham.
“I was in shock. Today, I was working and received the news. It is really sad. We already missed him. When I was sacked from Tottenham, the first message I received was from him. The job he has done with Liverpool is amazing. He wishes to rest and go away for a little bit. I think he deserves but it is sad for people who love football. He is a great character and Liverpool and English football will miss him. When he arrived, his first game was against us at White Hart Lane. We drew 0-0. His legacy is massive. I congratulate him and his coaching staff. He deserves the praise he will receive from now until the end of the season,” he said.
