Jurgen Klopp sends tragedy chanting warning to Liverpool and Manchester United fans

Klopp has urged supporters to ‘show a bit of class’ ahead of Sunday’s match at Old Trafford

Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool and Manchester United supporters to “show a bit of class” and refrain from tragedy chanting when they meet on Sunday.

Two United fans were arrested in connection with tragedy chants – relating to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool supporters – during their 4-3 FA Cup win over the Merseyside club last month. One was charged and bailed.

United have also been targeted for tragedy chants, relating to the 1958 Munich Air Disaster in which eight of Sir Matt Busby’s team lost their lives, by other fanbases.

The Liverpool FC Foundation and the Manchester United Foundation have joined forces to try and educate young people about tragedy chanting in an initiative featuring former players of both clubs and which was supported by the mayors of both regions.

And Klopp believes it is imperative everyone shows more dignity and focuses on the football when the clubs meet again this weekend.

He said: "I think it is super important. One aspect is that I don’t hear it, honestly, when I am on the sideline but I get told it happens and that is obviously not great but in general it is just helpful that we educate our kids in specific things: respect, understanding, all these kinds of things.

"I just see it that way that two of the biggest clubs in the world, let’s just show a bit of class in these moments, so don’t sing this or that. Just show class, have a fight on the pitch, let's just play football, if you want be happy, if you lose, whatever but besides all of that just show a bit of class, that would be my wish really for all of us.”

Jurgen Klopp has urged supporters to behave (Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

Klopp also feels his team have to learn a lesson from that 4-3 loss and be more clinical. His side led 2-1 and 3-2 before they were beaten by the substitute Amad Diallo’s extra-time strike.

“We were really good that day but we didn't finish the situations off,” he said. “Extra time was too much for us and we couldn't avoid the mistakes we could before [in normal time]. It was the day we couldn’t control it any more, United turned the game around and United is a top side playing at home.

“But we have to do what we did from minute 15 to seventy something. Football is not that easy. We have to find a way to cause United problems. They will try the same. Against this opponent, in this stadium, we better play a really good game if we want something from it.”

While Erik ten Hag has also encouraged fans to avoid offensive chanting.

The Dutch coach said: “It is part of my duty to remind every supporter fortunate enough to be at today’s game that it must be enjoyed in the proper way, and not used as an excuse for abusing rival fans about Hillsborough, Heysel or any other historic tragedies.

“This is one of the truly great rivalries in world sport, for so many of the right reasons, and it is our responsibility to keep it that way. Whether the clubs meet at Old Trafford or Anfield, all supporters must focus entirely on backing their team and both Jurgen and I trust that we can count on that happening today.”