Liverpool and United Call on Fans to Stop 'Tragedy Chanting'

FILE PHOT: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Newcastle United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 31, 2022 A Liverpool flag is pictured before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble
FILE PHOT: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Newcastle United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 31, 2022 A Liverpool flag is pictured before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble
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Liverpool and United Call on Fans to Stop 'Tragedy Chanting'

FILE PHOT: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Newcastle United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 31, 2022 A Liverpool flag is pictured before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble
FILE PHOT: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Newcastle United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 31, 2022 A Liverpool flag is pictured before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble

Liverpool and Manchester United have jointly called on fans to end “tragedy chanting” ahead of their Premier League match on Sunday at Anfield.

The longtime rivals issued a statement Saturday from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and United counterpart Erik ten Hag calling for an end to chants and online abuse about tragedies such as Munich and Hillsborough, The Associated Press said.

“It is unacceptable to use the loss of life — in relation to any tragedy — to score points, and it is time for it to stop,” Ten Hag said. “Those responsible tarnish not only the reputation of our clubs but also, importantly, the reputation of themselves, the fans, and our great cities.”

The rivalry is intense but shouldn't cross the line, Klopp said.

“We do want the occasion to be partisan and we do want the atmosphere to be electric,” the Liverpool manager said. “What we do not want is anything that goes beyond this and this applies especially to the kind of chants that have no place in football.

"If we can keep the passion and lose the poison, it will be so much better for everyone.”

The managers cited the Munich air disaster and the Hillsborough and Heysel stadium tragedies.
The Munich crash on Feb. 6, 1958 resulted in the deaths of 23 people, including eight United players.

Ninety-seven Liverpool supporters died from the crush at an overcrowded Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield on April 15, 1989.

At the 1985 European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, 39 people died during violence.

In February, the Premier League said it would treat the issue as a “matter of urgency" after chants by Leeds and United fans during a match at Elland Road. Some Leeds fans goaded United supporters with chants about Munich, and some United supporters taunted the home crowd with chants about the death of Leeds fans in Istanbul in 2000.



Jannik Sinner Beats Ben Shelton to Return to the Australian Open Final

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts during his semi final match against Ben Shelton of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts during his semi final match against Ben Shelton of the US. (Reuters)
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Jannik Sinner Beats Ben Shelton to Return to the Australian Open Final

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts during his semi final match against Ben Shelton of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts during his semi final match against Ben Shelton of the US. (Reuters)

Defending champion Jannik Sinner overcame some third-set cramping and beat Ben Shelton 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2 on Friday to return to the Australian Open final as he seeks a third Grand Slam title.

The No. 1-ranked Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy, fell behind in the opening set and twice was a point from losing it when Shelton served at 6-5. But Sinner broke there, then dominated the ensuing tiebreaker, and broke again to begin the second set.

“It was a very tough first set, but a very crucial one,” said Sinner, who ran his winning streak to 20 matches dating to late last season.

He said the matchup against the 21st-seeded Shelton, an American appearing in his second major semifinal and first at Melbourne Park, was filled with “a lot of tension.”

“I'm very happy with how I handled the situation today,” Sinner said.

The only trouble he ran into in the last two sets of the 2 1/2-hour contest in Rod Laver Arena was when he clutched at his left hamstring, and then his right thigh, in the third. He was treated by a trainer, who massaged both of Sinner's legs during changeovers.

Sinner is now the youngest man since Jim Courier in 1992-93 to reach consecutive finals at the Australian Open. It was Courier who conducted the post-match interview with Sinner on Friday.

Sinner won his first major title at Melbourne Park a year ago, then grabbed No. 2 at the US Open in September, shortly after being exonerated in a doping case that is still under appeal. There is a hearing scheduled for April.

On Sunday, Sinner will try to add to his trophy haul when he faces No. 2 Alexander Zverev for the championship.

Zverev advanced to his third major final — he is 0-2, with both losses in five sets — when Novak Djokovic quit after one set of their semifinal Friday because of a leg injury.

“Everything can happen. He's an incredible player,” Sinner said about Zverev. “He's looking for his first major. There's going to be, again, a lot of tension.”