LIVERPOOL MANAGER JURGEN Klopp has supported Mohamed Salah over the diving criticism levelled against him, claiming that the forward has rightly won the penalties awarded to him.
Salah has won the Reds three penalties – against Newcastle, Arsenal and Brighton – in their last five Premier League outings.
Criticisms reached another level after Liverpool’s recent game against Crystal Palace, when he appeared to go to the ground easily after a challenge with Mamadou Sakho.
Although referee Jon Moss waved play on, several ex-footballers including Garth Crooks and John Aldridge have sounded warning to the two-time African Footballer of the Year.
When asked whether he has met with Salah to talk about the diving claims, Klopp told Sky Sports that “I don’t have to speak to players about obvious things. He knows that. Don’t go down in situations like that.
“All the penalties against him were penalties, but people handle it like it was halfway diving. It was not. We don’t need blood for a foul in football. That’s all I will say about it.
“No, I didn’t speak to him about it. This is the first situation where he went down without (penalty), and you speak about all the other situations as well. The other situations, there was nothing to talk about. It is a penalty. Done. If that is the first, then why would we talk then?”
In staunch defence of the Egypt international, Klopp cited a situation that happened earlier this month where Jamie Vardy was accused of diving in a league game against Southampton.
“Did anyone talk to [Leicester striker] Jamie Vardy, when everybody saw? I watched the game [against Southampton in January]. That was proper — he jumped. Is Jamie a bad person because of that?” he questioned.
“I don’t say now he is a diver. That is another situation.”
Liverpool host Leicester City at Anfield tonight and could go seven points clear at the top with a win after closest rival Manchester City lost 2-1 against Newcastle United on Tuesday.
Salah, meanwhile, will be aiming to increase his tally of 16 goals in the Premier League this season as he aims to retain the Golden Boot award.
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