Liverpool Lost the Plot in Atalanta Defeat, Says Klopp

 Soccer Football - Europa League - Quarter Final - First Leg - Liverpool v Atalanta - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 11, 2024 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - Europa League - Quarter Final - First Leg - Liverpool v Atalanta - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 11, 2024 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)
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Liverpool Lost the Plot in Atalanta Defeat, Says Klopp

 Soccer Football - Europa League - Quarter Final - First Leg - Liverpool v Atalanta - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 11, 2024 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - Europa League - Quarter Final - First Leg - Liverpool v Atalanta - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 11, 2024 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)

Liverpool lacked tactical discipline against Atalanta on Thursday and fully deserved their 3-0 defeat in the Europa League quarter-final first leg match, manager Juergen Klopp said.

Gianluca Scamacca struck either side of halftime before Mario Pasalic capped an impressive win for the Italians at Anfield as Liverpool slumped to their joint-heaviest home defeat in European competition.

"It just was a really bad game, oh my God. We started well, really well, and then didn't continue. I think even before they scored, we just lost the plot a little bit, we were everywhere and nowhere," Klopp told reporters.

"(The) midfield was spread like that, right midfielder left side, left midfielder, striker. I didn't recognize that, that was really strange. In football terms that's tactical discipline.

"We played a bad game, we deserved to lose and we must feel that now."

Liverpool will seek to overturn the deficit in the second leg in Italy next week, but before that they host Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday.

With the Merseyside club involved in a tight title race with Arsenal and Manchester City, Klopp said the players had to move on from Thursday's defeat quickly.

"The boys have exactly this night to feel bad about it and then we have to build up again for the Crystal Palace game, that's how it is," he added.

"This was a low point for us performance-wise tonight, I would say, for a long time."



Coach Murray and Djokovic Part Ways Ahead of French Open

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 26, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts during his round of 64 match against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 26, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts during his round of 64 match against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo
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Coach Murray and Djokovic Part Ways Ahead of French Open

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 26, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts during his round of 64 match against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 26, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts during his round of 64 match against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo

Andy Murray will no longer coach 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, with the pair's high-profile partnership coming to an end after only six months, the Briton's team announced on Tuesday.

Djokovic appointed fellow former world number one Murray ahead of this year's Australian Open and the Serb said at the Qatar Open in February that he would continue working with Murray for an indefinite period.

However, the partnership will now end as Djokovic looks to arrest a dip in form during the clay season by competing in the Geneva Open next week, ahead of his quest for a fourth French Open title when Roland Garros gets underway on May 25, Reuters reported.

"Thanks to Novak for the unbelievable opportunity to work together and thanks to his team for all their hard work over the past six months," Murray said in a statement.

"I wish Novak all the best for the rest of the season."

Djokovic, who won 25 of his 36 matches against Murray, said he was grateful for his former rival's hard work and support in their short spell together.

"I really enjoyed deepening our friendship together," Djokovic added.