Gerrard reacts! Klopp says losing to PSG and exiting the UCL helped Liverpool win the Premier League.
On 29 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Steven Gerrard, the legendary Liverpool captain, clearly expressed his disagreement after current manager Arne Klopp stated that Liverpool's early exit from the UEFA Champions League last season might have been a key factor in helping the team win the Premier League.
Looking back to last season, Liverpool, champions of the league phase, faced PSG in the round of 16. Both matches ended with a 1-1 aggregate score before the “Reds” lost 1-4 on penalties in front of fans at Anfield—a deeply painful defeat for supporters.
Klopp offered a different view, saying before the game against Qarabag, “This may not be a popular opinion, but perhaps the reason we won the league last season was because we faced Paris Saint-Germain after being knocked out of the Champions League. We then had a full week to prepare for league games.”
Meanwhile, Gerrard, appearing on TNT Sports, stood firmly with the fans, saying, “I understand how fans felt disappointed by that interview. The simple fact is that at that time, Liverpool were 15 points ahead. For me, the league title was almost secured.”
“Saying that it helped is like a slap in the face for the fans because they have followed the team all along and paid a lot of money to watch the team in Champions League matches.”
“The disappointment of being knocked out of the Champions League, whether as a player or a fan, is very painful... So to say it helped the team when they were already 15 points ahead, you can understand why fans are unhappy.”