He is a man of class
Liverpool travelled to Ireland this weekend for their penultimate pre-season friendly against Napoli at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The Reds emerged victorious, putting five goals past the Italian side, but there was a story of greater importance to come from their trip across the Irish sea.
Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp found time on the trip to pay a visit to Sean Cox, the Irish Liverpool fan who was brutally beaten up by Roma fans before the Champions League semi-final first leg back in April.
The 53-year-old was hospitalised by the attack and put into an induced coma due to the severity of the injuries sustained during the assault.
Cox’s recovery has been slow, but promising. When he regained consciousness three months after the attack, messages of support came pouring in from Liverpool fans and supporters of all clubs.
Klopp paid a visit to Cox and his family today and the players also gathered in the centre circle to unveil a banner displaying a message of support for Cox after the final whistle this afternoon.
#LFC players gather on the pitch post match in Dublin with a banner in tribute to Sean Cox pic.twitter.com/8XqxI73ahL
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) August 4, 2018
Klopp then spent time with Cox’s family in Dublin, once again showing his class and warm character.
Jurgen Klopp with Sean Cox’s family in Dublin.#LFC pic.twitter.com/iPuDf5xFDk
— Jack Gill (@jacklfcgill) August 4, 2018
It’s not the first time Klopp has taken the time to make the fans’ day during this pre-season – the German also joined some American based fans for a drink and a sing-along in a bar during Liverpool’s tour of the United States.
It’s no surprise that he is so adored by the fan base when he so often goes beyond the call of duty to extend a hand to the club’s supporters.
There is a real sense of unity among Liverpool fans at the moment and it is largely thanks to what Klopp has done since arriving at the club. Take a bow, Jurgen.