Klopp devastated to miss mother’s funeral

LONDON. — Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, yesterday spoke of his devastation after saying he had to miss his mother’s funeral in Germany — and blamed Covid-19 travel rules. 

Klopp paid tribute to his mother Elisabeth, who died on January 19 aged 81, telling fans, “She meant everything to me.” 

Germany has banned travellers from Britain due to the new Covid-19 variant, although exceptions are allowed for people experiencing an “immediate family bereavemen”.

Travellers must show a negative test and self-isolate for 10 days upon arrival in Germany, although this can drop to five in some areas. 

Passengers returning from Germany in Britain must do the same after arriving in the UK. 

The FA can apply for special exemptions for elite sports people and managers that allows them to attend training and matches without self-isolating, provided they test negative for coronavirus. 

These exemptions are granted on a case-by-case basis by the Department for Culture Media and Sport and it is not clear if Klopp would have been eligible. 

Speaking to the Schwarzwalder Bote newspaper, Klopp, 53, paid tribute to his mother. 

He said: “She meant everything to me. She was a real mum in the best sense of the world. As a devout Christian, I know she is in a better place now. 

“The fact that I can’t be at the funeral is due to the terrible times. 

“As soon as the circumstances allow, we will hold a wonderful commemoration that is appropriate to it.’’ 

Klopp last visited Elisabeth in Germany for her 80th birthday. 

The manger, who was born in 1967, is the youngest of three children to come from the marriage of Elisabeth Reich and Norbert Klopp in 1960. 

Stefanie was born in 1960 and Isolde in 1962. 

Norbert died in 2 000 following a short illness at the age of 66, just a few months before Jurgen landed his first coaching job with Mainz. 

Elisabeth was the second-eldest of four born to Eugen and Helene Reich, who owned a brewery in the town of Glatten. 

Her working life started by delivering crates of beer to taverns with her eldest sister Marianne and also running the family grocery store. 

She married Norbert Klopp, who was learning the craft of making fine leather bags, after meeting at a dance. 

Norbert was also a goalkeeper and had trials with prominent German club Kaiserslautern. — Mailonline.