A YOUNG MANCHESTER United supporter from Donegal has received a letter from Jurgen Klopp after writing to the Liverpool manager requesting that his team stop winning matches.
As part of a school writing project, 10-year-old Daragh Curley wrote to Klopp in late January asking that he make Liverpool lose their next match in order to give the Premier League chasing pack a chance.
“Liverpool are winning too many games,” the letter read.
“If you win nine more games then you have the best unbeaten run in English football. Being a United fan that is very sad.
“So the next time Liverpool play please make them lose. You should just let the other team score. I hope I have convinced you to not win the league or any other match again.”
Much to the surprise of Daragh and his family, Klopp responded with a signed letter outlining that while he would not be able to send his team out to lose, he admired the 10-year-old’s “passion for football.”
“Firstly, I would like to thank you for writing to me,” Klopp wrote.
This Is Anfield / Twitter
This Is Anfield / Twitter / Twitter
“I know you did not send me good luck or anything but it is always good to hear from a young football fan no matter what so I appreciate you getting in touch.
“Unfortunately, on this occasion, I cannot grant your request, not through choice anyway.
“As much as you want Liverpool to lose it is my job to do everything that I can to help Liverpool to win as there are millions of people around the world who want that to happen so I really do not want to let them down.
“Luckily for you, we have lost games in the past and we will lose games in the future because that is football.
“The problem is when you are 10-years-old you think that things will always be as they are now but if there is one thing I can tell you at 52 years old it is that this most definitely isn’t the case.
“Having read your letter, though, I think I can safely say that one thing that will not change is your passion for football and for your club. Manchester United are lucky to have you.
“I hope that if we are lucky enough to win more games and maybe even lift some more trophies you will not be too disappointed because although our clubs are great rivals we also share a great respect for one another.
“This, to me, is what football is all about.
“Take care and good luck, Jurgen.”
Speaking at a Liverpool press conference on Friday, Klopp explained he responded to the the letter because it was “cheeky.”
“It was just nice, it was cheeky,” he said.
“We had time that day so I read the letter and I replied.
“I have no problem with supporters of other clubs. I think and hope and know it’s a free world and we can choose our club.
“I don’t think everybody has to be a Liverpool fan but I like working for Liverpool and I like the rivalry we have.
“But I love it even more if we can keep it on the pitch so apart from that they can be happy and we should be happy and I hope Daragh is now happy and he looked like it on the picture I saw later so, good!”
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