Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp opens up on 'celebration police' and claims Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was 'over-celebrating' in win over Reds

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta greets Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp at Anfield in December 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has opened up on the "celebration police" and claims that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was "over-celebrating" after the Gunners' 3-1 win over the Reds recently.

Arteta and his players were criticised for their celebrations on the pitch after beating Liverpool 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium earlier in February, with former Reds defender Jamie Carragher saying they should "get down the tunnel" after the final whistle.

The Arsenal manager also faced flak for copying Klopp's fist-bump celebrations following the win, which saw the Gunners move to within two points of the Reds at the top of the Premier League.

Speaking to reporters ahead the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday, Klopp said: "I heard the discussions – that Mikel [Arteta] over-celebrated the [Arsenal] win against us. That definitely did not come from me.

"Everybody can do whatever. I didn’t invent fist-pumps and I don't have the copyright on it and I don't want it. You do what you do for yourself and your people. What the outside world thinks about it – I couldn't give a s**t, to be honest. And you can write that exactly like that.

"This is for us and nobody else. Who likes it, likes it, and who doesn't like it, doesn't like it. You can make what you want of my celebrations."

On Sunday, Klopp has the chance to win a first piece of silverware since announcing in January that he will be stepping down at the end of the season.

"I want to win on Sunday but not for me or my trophy cabinet," he said. "It is for the boys, for the club, for the people. That is much more important and everything will go on.

"What we are doing at the moment is writing a wonderful book, I would say. We wrote and we are still writing a wonderful book and when I leave we close that book, put it on the shelf and then someone else will write a wonderful book.

"That is the idea. I will not leave anything inside. I will give absolutely everything until the last second."

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Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.