Good communication is essential for any good relationship, romantic, or otherwise. When it comes to sports, it’s the same thing. And the whole post-match ‘drama’ after the first match between Liverpool and Atletico in the Champions League could have been avoided, if there was good communication. After his team lost at home 3-2 to Liverpool, Atletico boss Diego Simeone ran straight down the tunnel, while Jurgen Klopp was left with his hand in the air – there was no handshake. And the German boss explained in the post-match interview that he was not angry and everything was OK. Simeone left without shaking Klopp’s hand and Klopp was NOT happy. They play at Anfield on November 3 🍿(via @btsportfootball) pic.twitter.com/bICVC9AokQ— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 19, 2021 But soon Simeone explained that he usually doesn’t shake hands with his colleagues after the match. And ahead of the return match at Anfield on Wednesday, there will be no more misunderstandings – Siemone will not shake Klopp’s hand, and the German is fine with it. “I don’t like the greeting after the match because they are the emotions of two sides in different emotional minds. I know in the UK it is a custom but I don’t share it and I don’t like the falseness it may include. I don’t know Klopp as a person very well but I know he is a great coach who has done great work at every club he has been at” explained Simeone his stance on handshakes. (1.70) LIVERPOOL (3.80) ATLETICO MADRID (5.70)And his counterpart Klopp has absolutely no problem with that. In fact, the German wouldn’t have tried to shake hands at all, if he knew Diego’s thoughts about that. Still, Liverpool boss thinks much more about the game than about the handshake. “Was there a question about the handshake in there? OK, so it is how I said after the game in Madrid, if I would have known before the game he doesn’t do it then I wouldn’t have tried it. I tried it and then I was waving or whatever, that was unnecessary from me, I was really not happy with that. But how I know, we are both emotional and that was my emotion then. It was not necessary but now I know he doesn’t want to shake hands after the game, so no problem. Before the game, we can shake hands and we will probably do that before the game, I assume. But after it, not. That is fine. Absolutely no problem and then we can all go home happily in that department. In between those two handshakes it is a very important game for us and I am much more concerned about that. It will be a tough one” said the German. Liverpool sit top of Group B with three wins from three while Atletico are second having won 2-1 against AC Milan and drawn 0-0 against Porto.
