Chelsea coach Frank Lampard has said he regrets the language he used in a pitch-side face-off with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp earlier this week.
A video from the stands at Anfield showed Lampard angrily exchanging words with the German during Wednesday’s 5-3 Premier League defeat by the Reds, and Lampard has said he feels he could have chosen his words more carefully at the time.
“To be honest, I have seen the video and I was there. In terms of the language I used, I do regret that,” he said.
“These things get played a lot on social media. I have two young daughters on social media, but in terms of my passion to defend my team, then no [regrets].”
After the game on Wednesday, Lampard explained why he had become agitated, saying: “There were a lot of things that were ongoing and on the bench ... I’ve got no problem with Jurgen Klopp, he’s managed this team and it’s fantastic. Some of the bench, it’s a fine line between when you are winning – and they’ve won the league, fair play to Liverpool Football Club – but also don’t get too arrogant with it.”
And on Friday, Lampard said again that he was more frustrated with the behaviour from the champions’ bench than that of Klopp.
“I would have had a beer with Jurgen Klopp to toast their success,” he said.
“There were things I didn’t like from their bench, not Jurgen Klopp, but their bench. Emotions run high in this game.”
Klopp also weighed in on the incident, saying: “We are not ‘arrogant’. Frank was in a really competitive mood, I respect that a lot.
“For me, after the game, it’s completely over. He has to learn to finish speaking about it after the final whistle, and he didn’t do that.
“Speaking about it after the whistle is not okay.”
