- Liverpool have been drawn against Roma in the Champions League semi-finals
- The Reds avoided Spanish giants Real Madrid and Bundelisga leaders Bayern
- However, Klopp insists that it is far from the easiest draw his side could have got
- The German has also backed Mohamed Salah to cope with facing his old club
Jurgen Klopp has warned his Liverpool side they cannot think of Roma as an easy opponent following the Champions League draw.
The Reds will face the Serie A side in the last four of Europe’s top competition after avoiding Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
But Klopp insists that anyone who saw Eusebio Di Francesco’s side knock out Barcelona in the quarter-finals would know a trip to the Stadio Olimpico will be anything but simple.
Jurgen Klopp watched the semi-final draw for the Champions League with staff at Melwood
‘Because I knew I’d have to say something after it, I tried to think about what I feel, but it was not that I thought ‘Thank God not Bayern, thank God not Real Madrid, yippee Roma’ or the other way around,’ Klopp told the club’s official website.
‘It is just the draw and I know it is very exciting, but it is good because the most important news is we are still in the competition. Whichever opponent we would have got, I would have said there is a chance because it is football – so there is a chance against Roma.
‘But if anybody think this is the easiest draw then I cannot help this person; they obviously didn’t see both games against Barcelona.’
Klopp has warned against thinking of Roma as the weakest team left in this year’s competition
Klopp added: ‘From an excitement point of view, it’s really cool because I’ve never played in Rome. It’s a beautiful city for sure, but we are not there for sightseeing.’
The draw sees Mohamed Salah return to his old club. The Egyptian spent two seasons at Roma, scoring 34 goals there, but Klopp believes his talisman is more than capable of handling the emotion of the sitauation.
‘For sure it will be interesting for Mo, but that shows all the quality of Roma,’ said Klopp.
‘Everybody knows how big Mo’s impact on our season has been – and they’ve played a season without him. Where would they be if Mo was still there?
‘It makes it a really interesting thing and for him, it will be 100 per cent special. He is already of interest wherever we go, but it might go crazy when we go to Rome! He can deal with that, I am sure.’
Klopp has also backed Mohamed Salah to deal with the emotion of going back to his old club
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