Sergio Ramos continues to taunt Liverpool with jibe over Jurgen Klopp's poor record in finals
Klopp described Ramos as 'ruthless and brutal' after he injured Mohamed Salah and collided with Loris Karius in the Champions League final
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Your support makes all the difference.Sergio Ramos has continued to taunt Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool over the 2017/18 Champions League final by aiming an attack on the manager’s poor record in finals after the 3-1 defeat.
After an early spell of Liverpool dominance in Kiev in May, Ramos appeared to tangle with Mohamed Salah and brought the influential winger to the floor which forced him to leave the field in tears with a shoulder injury.
Klopp recently described Ramos as “ruthless and brutal,” and the Spanish defender has lashed back at the Liverpool manager by suggesting he is not a top-level coach.
“Some of us have been operating at a very high level for many years, I’m not sure he can say the same,” he said.
Klopp has failed to win six of his seven finals during his coaching career, a stark contrast to Ramos’ four Champions Leagues, four La Ligas, two European Championships with Spain and the 2010 World Cup triumph.
“It’s not the first final [Klopp] has lost, he should stick to his own business,” Ramos added ahead of the Uefa Super Cup clash against Europa League winners Atletico Madrid.
Ramos said he had “no intention of hurting a player deliberately,” when he was accused by some of purposely injuring Salah.
An online petition was signed by over 500,000 people calling on Uefa and Fifa to punish the Spanish international, and further concern was raised when replays appeared to show the Real Madrid defender collide with Loris Karius, something which left the goalkeeper ‘concussed.’
“We don’t use it as an excuse, we use it as an explanation,” said Klopp, justifying why the goalkeeper made two errors in the final. “He was influenced by that knock – that is 100 per cent.”
Real Madrid’s match on Wednesday against their fierce city rivals is their first competitive game since selling Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus for £88m this summer.
“We've lost a very important and influential player, but that doesn't mean we're going to stop winning," Ramos said. "Other big players at Real Madrid have come and gone. The club rises above all of its players, including symbolic ones like him. Hopefully things go well for him and for us too."
Ronaldo was not the only significant recent departure from the Bernabeu. Zinadine Zidane called time on his two-year spell in charge, which paved the way for Julen Lopetegui to step in.
Lopetegui, who was sacked as Spain manager two days before the World Cup began, will be relying on Gareth Bale to fill the gap left by Ronaldo, especially given Eden Hazard is poised to remain at Chelsea.
“He is a super professional who is training with the eagerness of a youth,” Lopetegui said of the Welshman. “We are convinced that he will have a great season.”
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