Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp accepted he still has plenty of work to do with his players to make them into winners, but promised fans they would come back stronger from last night’s painful loss.
The 3-1 Europa League final defeat to defending champions Sevilla, who claimed an unprecedented third successive victory, came after Daniel Sturridge had opened the scoring with a brilliantly taken goal.
Kevin Gameiro scored just 18 seconds into the second half and it was from that point that Klopp realised he had a problem.
Video from BeanymanSports.
“Obviously the first goal had a big influence on our game,” he said.
“At this moment we lost faith in our style of play, we changed from passing quick and simple to complicated and lost our formation. It was not compact any more.
“I tried to change it but you could see that maybe the team was shocked, maybe the crowd was shocked.
“It is not good to concede a goal straight after half-time but you have 44 minutes to strike back but the reaction was the problem, we have to learn to react better in situations like this.
“We are disappointed and frustrated 100 per cent but tomorrow (Thursday) or later in the week we will see it a little bit more clearly and we will use this experience, that is what we have to do.”
After they had drawn level, Coke scored twice to put Sevilla in firm control.
Liverpool had three penalty shouts for handball and a goal disallowed for offside while Sevilla’s crucial third saw a linesman’s flag overruled by referee Jonas Eriksson.
However, Klopp suffered his fifth successive defeat in a final as manager.
“There are more important things in life than football. I don’t think God had a plan with me to go to the final and always have a knock,” said the German when asked if he felt he was owed some luck.
“I’ve had a lot of luck in my life as I sit here as manager of Liverpool.
“I don’t think I am an unlucky person or life has not been good to me.
“We will carry on, I will carry on. I will try with all I have to reach the next final, even when you know you can lose it.
“We will use this experience and we will come back stronger, 100%.”