Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp urges fans to stay home for Premier League restart
Watch Everton vs Liverpool on Sunday at 7pm live on Sky Sports Premier League
Wednesday 17 June 2020 11:27, UK
Jurgen Klopp has made a passionate plea for Liverpool fans to stay at home to watch matches and promised the team will still feel their support as they close-in on the Premier League title.
Liverpool are within touching distance of finally ending their 30-year wait for a top-flight trophy and restart with a huge Merseyside derby on the first weekend back, a clash that could clinch the title were they to win it and City to lose at home to Arsenal on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports.
Live Renault Super Sunday
The Everton game on Sunday will take place at Goodison Park, despite initial fears fans could gather outside the ground and pose a public health risk due to coronavirus.
Download the Sky Sports Football Podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox | Spreaker
- Premier League restart: How to watch it all
- Sky Sports to introduce crowd noise for PL return
- Premier League restart: The live games on Sky Sports
In a message to Liverpool supporters on the club's website, Klopp said: "It will be obviously, for some reasons, completely different, but you can still make it really special.
"When we all became aware of the problem we will have, all together, the whole world, that was the moment we realised football is not as important as the night before when played Atletico Madrid.
"I think that's a good lesson to learn. We had to show responsibility and we showed it.
"There were times when we didn't know if we would play again and there were rumours about null and void and points-per-game.
- £18 Premier League and Football channel offer
- Watch 39 Premier League & 45 EFL games exclusively live
"Now, we stand here and the league will start again because we behaved responsibly. We did the things we had to do because we wanted to save our loved ones and all the others as well.
"So, the league starts again and we can go for our massive target again and for this we need you, we always needed you.
"It's still football and it's still for you. We will be in the stadium and you will be at home. I can promise you we will feel your support, I will make the boys feel your support. You are still the 80 or 90 per cent of the petrol in our tanks.
"Stay safe, support us from home. We are still with you and you'll never walk alone."
'Authorities will revoke hosting rights if fans congregate'
Aston Villa will kick off the Premier League resumption when they host Sheffield United at Villa Park on Wednesday night, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 6pm.
It is one of six home games Villa have remaining this season, which may be crucial as they have 10 games to get out of the relegation zone by the end of the campaign.
Live Premier League
The club's chief executive Christian Purslow posted a video on Wednesday morning in which he pledged to get fans back into the stadium "as soon as it is safe to do so", but the club would lose its right to host games if fans congregated before that time.
"We were amongst a number of clubs who made clear we didn't approve of [playing at neutral grounds] because, although there are none of you here tomorrow night, it's recognisably our home and I know our players feel really strongly about having six games here in our home," Purslow said.
"The one way to assure that we complete this season in those six games at Villa Park is for none of our fans to show up.
"I urge you to recognise that the discussions and negotiations that went on with government, with local and with national police forces to allow us to house games at Villa park were complicated and difficult, and I'm incredibly grateful to the authorities that ultimately they agreed.
"If we have fans congregating they will reverse those policies immediately, so please enjoy watching us on television, I hope we put on a good show for you live on television and as soon as it's safe and as soon as it's legal to do so, we'll have fans back at Villa Park."
