Klopp 'proud' of Liverpool's Black Lives Matter tribute

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the ethnic makeup of his squad made its decision to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement earlier this week an easy one. But he's still proud of his players for doing it.

"For us, the contact with each other and Black Lives Matter is natural," Klopp told Sky Germany, as translated by Sky Sports. "If you look at our team, we have players from Africa, from England, etcetera."

He added, "I have been very proud of the boys for a long time, but this was another extraordinary moment. When I saw them there and this photo was taken, I was really proud, because it is also an important message. No question about it."

Klopp maintains that players "spontaneously" began to kneel down at the center circle at Anfield on Monday to show their support for a movement that has intensified since the death of George Floyd - a black man - while in police custody in Minneapolis last week.

"It's so natural for us that we didn't even think about sending a message at first," he said. "Because it's completely normal, nobody realized that we would have to say it again. But then the boys noticed it. Then they spontaneously decided to do it."

Chelsea, Leicester City, and Newcastle United also posted pictures of their players kneeling and messages denouncing racism.

Tributes to Floyd and displays of support for Black Lives Matter have also taken place in Germany during Bundesliga matches.