UCL final: We play for people of Ukraine – Liverpool coach, Klopp

Liverpool coach, Jurgen Klopp, has dedicated his side’s Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday night to the people of Ukraine.

The Champions League final was originally planned to take place in St. Petersburg, but it was moved to the Stade de France in Paris in March following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Football has since united people across countries in support of the East European nation and there have been several displays and messages of support for the war-torn country.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s tie with Real Madrid, Klopp once again sent a message of support to the people of Ukraine.

The German said, as quoted by Liverpool Echo, “I’m happy the game is here for thousands of reasons. The war is still going on and we’ve to think about it.

“The game still happens and not in St. Petersburg, is the right message. We play this game for the people of Ukraine.”

Due to the ongoing war, Ukraine was forced to postpone their crucial World Cup play-off encounter with Scotland until June, while all Russian national and club sides have been banned from competing in any UEFA or FIFA competition, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year.